PETERSBURG, West Virginia, September 29, 2016 – Firefighters are making progress on the five wildfires in the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area within the Monongahela National Forest.
Incident Commander, Paul Churchill, says “After our efforts yesterday, I’m happy to report that two of the fires have been fully extinguished and two of the fires are 100% contained.”
The fifth fire, just discovered yesterday, will need to be surveyed by the Explosive Safety Specialists from the Army Corps of Engineers before firefighters proceed with suppression efforts.
The Dolly Sods Wilderness Area is heavily used, especially during this time of year when the leaves are changing color. As people are planning their trips to the Dolly Sods, they should keep in mind the closure order for the southwestern portion of the wilderness area. The closure order will remain in place until all fires are 100% contained and fire personnel have completed their operations and rehabilitation work. At a minimum, officials expect the closure to extend into next week.
There is also a Fire Ban in place for the entire Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, the Dolly Sods Picnic Area and the Red Creek Campground. The Fire Ban will remain in place until weather conditions improve and fire danger decreases.
Troy Waskey, Cheat-Potomac District Ranger, says “We have been in a period of unseasonably dry conditions. Although the recent rain is helpful, it will still take additional rainfall on a regular basis to recover from these extremely dry past couple of months.”
As we head into West Virginia’s traditional fall fire season, fire officials are asking the public to be especially careful with fire in the outdoors. Churchill says “Make sure you have water nearby when you have a campfire. Pour water on the fire, stir and repeat. Make sure your fire is out cold before you walk away from it.”
For the latest information on the Red Creek Fires, check the Monongahela Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/mnf/under Alerts & Warnings.
