PETERSBURG – Firefighters on the Monongahela National Forest continue to fight the 425-acre Castle Fire in the Smoke Hole area of Grant County about 8 miles southwest of Petersburg.
Firefighters focused on keeping the fire east of Smoke Hole Road, north of the Grant and Pendleton County line, west of the South Branch of the Potomac River, and south of private property north of Austin Gap.
“The Augusta Interagency Hotshot Crew was very successful in gaining access to the fire by crossing the river off Shooks Gap Road, approximately 17 miles south of Petersburg,” stated Incident Commander Peter To. “The firefighters made significant progress in tackling hot spots in very difficult terrain. The wildfire is 90 percent contained.”
The wildfire was first reported on Saturday, April 14. Federal, state and local fire crews fought the fire until heavy rains fell. After monitoring the fire, smoke was observed on Wednesday, April 18. The fire began to spread on Friday, April 20.
“The river crossing would not have been possible without the support of our local community. The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Company provided the watercraft and assisted us in getting firefighters safely across the river,” said Cheat-Potomac District Ranger Troy Waskey. “We appreciate the close working relationship with our local VFD’s, State Division of Forestry, and private landowners.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the USDA Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations. If anyone has information about the cause, please contact Grant County 911 at (304) 257-1212.
For maps, photographs, and updates, visit InciWeb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5745/.
