| Contact Information | Date |
|---|---|
| For Immediate Release Contact: John Campbell 434.220.9070 434.989.0665 |
Jan. 8, 2008 VDOF—08002 |
Wildland Fires Increase 16 Percent in 2007;
Damage to Homes Up 43 Percent
Just over 1,500 wildland fires burned more than 11,000 acres of Virginia forest land in calendar year 2007. The number of fires (1,509) is up 16 percent over calendar year 2006 when there were 1,301 wildland fires. There were 20 homes that were damaged by wildland fires – an increase of 43 percent from 2006 when 14 homes were damaged.
As Virginia’s population continues to grow, more and more people are moving into traditionally wooded areas – this is known as the wildland-urban interface. With more people and more homes to protect, the nature of wildland firefighting has changed. There is far more risk to wildland firefighters, and the tactics they use to suppress fires have been altered, which can make it more difficult to battle wildland fires.
However, while the number of fires increased, the amount of acres that burned actually dropped by 19 percent (11,200 in 2007 vs. 13,763 in 2006).
John Miller, director of resource protection for the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF), said, “This is due, in large part, to the Agency’s prompt initial attack strategy, which is designed to limit the spread of wildland fires.”
More than one half (6,487) of the acres burned were in the 13-county area of far Southwest Virginia. Even though far Southwest Virginia had the most acres burned, the most wildland fires (368) occurred in the 23-county region that covers central and northern Virginia. Close behind, with 358 fires, was the 12-county south-central region. (Note: VDOF has divided the Commonwealth into six operational regions. For more information on the various regions, please see Pages 2 and 3.)
More than 94 percent of last year’s wildland fires were caused by humans. The largest percentage (28.8) of which were the result of people burning yard debris or trash. More than 15 percent of the fires were arson. Equipment use ignited 11.8 percent of last year’s wildland fires. Virginia also experienced fires started by lightning, people smoking, children, railroads, campfires and other miscellaneous causes.
Miller said, “The leading causes of wildland fires in Virginia stay fairly consistent from year to year, and the one common denominator in almost all of the fires is human activity. We encourage everyone to be mindful of the dangers associated with wildland fire and to take proper precautions before burning debris, operating equipment, or tossing a cigarette out of the car window. And to those who intentionally set wildland fires, know that we investigate each incident and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, the Agency has 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 184,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide more than $29 Billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.
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Abingdon Region Office:
Phone: (276) 676-5488 ; FAX: (276) 676-5581
Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell,
Washington, Wise and Wythe counties
2007 Stats: 262 wildland fires that burned 6,487 acres
2006 Stats: 227 wildland fires that burned 4,448 acres
Salem Region Office:
Phone: (540) 387-5461 ; FAX: (540) 387-5445
Alleghany, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry,
Highland, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Roanoke and Rockbridge
counties
2007 Stats: 163 wildland fires that burned 1,190 acres
2006 Stats: 130 wildland fires that burned 5,082 acres
Farmville Region Office:
Phone: (434) 392-4159 ; FAX: (434) 392-1550
Amelia, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg,
Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Powhatan and Prince Edward counties
2007 Stats: 358 wildland fires that burned 845 acres
2006 Stats: 266 wildland fires that burned 385 acres
Charlottesville Region Office:
Phone: (434) 977-5193 ; FAX: (434) 296-3290
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
counties
2007 Stats: 368 wildland fires that burned 1,094 acres
2006 Stats: 299 wildland fires that burned 1,688 acres
Tappahannock Region Office:
Phone: (804) 443-2211 ; FAX: (804) 443-3164
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 counties
2007 Stats: 231 wildland fires that burned 509 acres
2006 Stats: 244 wildland fires that burned 924 acres
Waverly Region Office:
Phone: (804) 834-2300 ; FAX: (804) 834-3232
Accomack, Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Greensville, Isle of Wight, Northampton, Prince
George, Southampton, Surry and Sussex counties, and cities of Chesapeake,
Suffolk and Virginia Beach
2007 Stats: 127 wildland fires that burned 1,075 acres
2006 Stats: 135 wildland fires that burned 906 acres