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Page County Wildfire Now 100 Percent Contained

Posted: 7:26 AM Apr 16, 2012
Reporter: WHSV News Team

Page County Wildfire
Updates on the Page County Fire
Page County Wildfire Now 90 Percent Contained

UPDATE:
4/15/2012

11:45 p.m.

The wildfire burning in the George Washington National Forest in Page and parts of Rockingham counties is now 100-percent contained.

Certain roads are still closed while investigators try to determine what caused the fire.

UPDATE:

4/14/2012

11:45 p.m.

The wildfire burning in the George Washington National Forest in Page and parts of Rockingham counties is now 90 percent contained.

Approximately 4000 acres have burned, which included 3200 acres on National Forest System Land, and 800 acres on private land.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The following roads are closed until further notice: Cub Run Road (FS Road #65).

The public will not be able to access Pitt Springs, Big Mountain Road or Peter Fish Road due to this closure.

The following trails are closed until further notice:
Pitt Spring Lookout #584
Fridley Gap #419
Massanutten Mountain South #416 (beginning at Pitt Springs and extending South)
Second Mountain #580 (including Boone Run Shelter, Martin Bottom #579, and Morgan Run #583)

The voluntary evacuation for the Shipwreck Farms Area has been lifted. All residents are permitted to return to their property.

Columbia Gas has put plans in place to shut down and purge a transmission line north of the fire and outside the containment line if conditions demand. If a service interruption is noted, customers should call 800 544-5606.

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UPDATE:

4/12/12

5:30 p.m.

Wildfires burnt across the Commonwealth and in the Valley Thursday night.

More than 14,000 acres burned in five major fires across the state.

In just five days, the Ship Wreck wildfire in Page County spread by the thousands and that fire now covers 5,400 acres.

That's nearly 700 more acres than Wednesday.

Fire crews say they had some issues with the blaze spreading over night but it is now about 60-percent contained.

There have been rumors of suspected arson, but that is not confirmed. Investigators are still working all of their leads.

The main priority is keeping this large fire contained.

“Most parts, in the Page County area, if you have a 2,000 acre fire, that's a large fire. This is one of the largest fires I can remember,” said Fire and EMS Coordinator Wes Shifflett in Page County.

Firefighters WHSV spoke with Thursday felt they are close to the end there.

With favorable weather and containment efforts, they hope the fire would be under control soon.

2:28 p.m.

Authorities are estimating 5,401 acres have burned. The fire is estimated as 60% contained.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The following roads are closed until further notice: Cub Run Road (FS Road #65).The public will not be able to access Pitt Springs or Big Mountain Road due to this closure.

Protection of human life remains the top priority while working to contain this fire.

Columbia Gas has put plans in place to shut down and purge a transmission line north of the fire and outside the containment line if conditions demand.

If a service interruption is noted, customers should call 800 544-5606. The previous announced shut down has not been necessitated.

12:41 p.m.

Firefighters continue to battle wildfires that have burned nearly 17,000 acres in Virginia.

The largest fire is in a remote area in Alleghany County 10 miles west of Covington. The U.S. Forest Service says nearly 7,000 acres have burned since Saturday.

Another fire in Page County is more than 6 miles long and has burned 5,400 acres.

Large fires also are burning in Craig and Shenandoah counties, along with smaller fires in other areas.

The Forest Service says more than 360 firefighters from 23 states have helped battle the blazes.

A section of Route 850 near the Alleghany-Rockbridge county line and part of Route 770 in Alleghany County remain closed because of wildfires.
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4/11/12

4:00 p.m.

The Shipwreck Fire in Page County has already burned more than 4,748 acres and spans more than 5.5 miles in length – nearly the entire length of First Mountain.

Firefighters working this wild land fire have protected more than 125 homes and other structures thus far. Several roads and trails are closed.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

As a precaution, Columbia Gas will purge its gas line in the area which could lead to a disruption of service for some customers.

Five large wildfires and several small ones were burning more than 14,000 acres across the Commonwealth Wednesday. While most of the large fires are on National Forest System land, the Virginia Department of Forestry, USFS, National Park Service along with numerous volunteer fire departments are out in force battling the fires to protect lives and property.

Several Virginia state agencies, including the Departments of Emergency Management, State Police, Transportation and Fire Programs, are supporting the efforts.

A combination of high winds, low humidity and no precipitation enabled the wildfires to grow and spread quickly. Many of the fires are on steep, rocky terrain making it difficult for firefighters to reach the flames.