Fire officials transitioned the Dry Hollow Fire in Pendleton County near Upper Tract to a Type 4 incident management team. Thanks to recent weather patterns the fire has not grown, and is still approximately 1,289 acres and 60 percent contained. Twelve firefighters remain on site, and will monitor existing control lines for the next few days.
“I’d like to thank the West Virginia Division of Forestry, Upper Tract Volunteer Fire Department, and Pendleton County Office of Emergency Management for their unwavering support during this incident,” said District Ranger Troy Waskey. “I also want to acknowledge and thankFranklin VFD, South Fork VFD, Circleville VFD, Seneca Rocks VFD, Highland County VFD, McDowell County VFD, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Tina Eye with the Pendleton County Search and Rescue Ladies Auxiliary, the local residents of Upper Tract and the greater Pendleton and Grant county areas, and everyone who donated supplies. This truly was a community effort.”
Monongahela National Forest will continue to coordinate with and support the Upper Tract Fire Department and West Virginia Division of Forestry throughout the duration of the incident as they monitor the needs of private landowners affected by the fire.
Burned areas on the National Forest are closed to the public due to the potential for safety hazards such as falling trees, rolling debris, and fire traffic. Strong wind gusts are expected to continue over the next few days and fire-weakened trees could fall. Visitors to nearby National Forest lands, especially hunters, should continue to exercise caution while in the area as fire crews continue to work and hazards are still present.
For future updates, please visit InciWeb at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6663/