Spring Fire Season Ends

A total of 1,048 wildfires burned 11,365 acres of Virginia forest land during the first four months of this year, according to officials with the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF).

“We haven’t had a spring fire season this bad since 2001,” said John Miller, VDOF’s director of resource protection. “The number of fires increased 120 percent and the acreage burned increase more than 317 percent as compared to the 2005 spring fire season.

“ The number one cause of wildland fires continues to be debris burning,” Miller said. “Whether people are burning leaves, tree limbs or trash, there’s potential for wildfires. And from mid-February through the end of April, that danger is at its highest in Virginia – primarily because of dry fuels, low humidity, higher winds and a lack of rain. And from all indications, it appears that these same conditions may continue through the summer – creating the potential for drought-like conditions.”

VDOF divides the state into six regions: Waverly, Tappahannock, Charlottesville, Farmville, Salem and Abingdon. The 23-county Charlottesville region had the most fires (240), while the 16-county Salem region had the most acres burned (4,581). (See Page 3 for specific data for each region.)

One of the most important tools in preventing forest fires is the 4 p.m. Burn Law, which prohibits burning before 4 p.m. each day during the 75-day spring fire season. Miller said, “While the statewide 4 p.m. prohibition has ended for this year, it doesn’t mean that people should be any less careful. In addition, many counties that implemented around-the-clock burn bans this spring still have those bans in place.”

Forest land is not all that’s at risk in a wildfire – lives, homes and other structures can also be lost. From Jan. 1st through April 30, 2006, a total of 13 homes and 38 structures were damaged or destroyed. Forest firefighters protected 432 homes and 269 structures in that same time period.

Miller urges anyone planning to burn, regardless of the time of year, to properly prepare. First, clear an area around the fire; burn only when conditions of high humidity and low wind speed are present, and have sufficient water and tools – such as a shovel or a rake – on hand in case the fire escapes. If the fire does escape, call 911 immediately! The sooner you call, the faster the blaze can be contained or extinguished.

For additional information or more ways that you can prevent wildfires, visit www.dof.virginia.gov or log on to www.firewisevirginia.org.

The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, there are Forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.

With nearly 16 million acres of forestland and more than 248,000 Virginians employed in the forest products industry, Virginia forests provide more than $30 Billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.

2006 Forest Fire Statistics by Region
(Jan. 1 – April 30, 2006)

Abingdon Region: (counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell. Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe)
Fires = 179 Acres Burned = 4,035

Salem Region: (counties of Alleghany, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry, Highland, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Roanoke and Rockbridge)
Fires = 104 Acres Burned = 4,581

Farmville Region: (counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Powhatan and Prince Edward)
Fires = 206 Acres Burned = 251

Charlottesville Region: (counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Arlington, Augusta, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Frederick, Goochland, Greene, Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren)
Fires = 240 Acres Burned = 1,017

Tappahannock Region: (counties of Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Essex, Gloucester, Hanover, Henrico, James City, King & Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland and York)
Fires = 214 Acres Burned = 746

Waverly Region: (counties of Accomack, Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Isle of Wight, Northampton, Prince George, Southampton, Surry and Sussex, as well as the cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk and Virginia Beach)
Fires = 105 Acres Burned = 735

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The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, there are Forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.

With nearly 16 million acres of forest land and more than 248,000 Virginians employed in the forest products industry, Virginia forests provide more than $30 billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.