2007: Fire on the mountains

Carrie J. Sidener / Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: January 11, 2008

Wildland fires consumed thousands of acres in Amherst County last year, the most in Central Virginia.

The burned acreage in Amherst far surpasses the number of acres burned in all the other counties in the Lynchburg area combined, according to statistics from the Virginia Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forestry Service.

Fires burned 1,073.5 acres of federal land in the George Washington National Forest in Amherst County. All but 3.5 of those acres burned in one fire - the April blaze on The Friar and Little Friar mountains, according to the U.S. Forestry Service.

That is coupled with another 1,447 acres burned in 23 fires on state and private land in Amherst County, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry.

The Friars fire burned for more than two weeks after igniting April 23 off the Kings Creek Trail that runs along the western side of The Friar. No houses were endangered.

More than 50 firefighters battled the blaze.

Another fire broke out on Nov. 23 on Tobacco Row Mountain in Amherst, burning about 450 acres.

That fire was sparked when a passing four-wheeler accidentally scorched some leaves. No homes were endangered.

Statewide, the number of fires increased while the number of acres burned actually went down 19 percent. In 2006, 13,763 acres burned compared to 11,200 in 2007.

Statewide, more homes were damaged in these fires than the previous year, though none were damaged in the Lynchburg area.

"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," said John Campbell in a news release. "With more people and more homes to protect, the nature of wildland firefighting has changed."

More than 98 percent of all wildfires in Virginia were caused by people, said John Campbell, of the Virginia Department of Forestry, in a press release.

The biggest cause of wildland fires is people burning yard debris and trash. That accounts for 28 percent. More than 15 percent is attributed to arson and the use of equipment, like four-wheelers, which accounts for almost 12

percent.

Other causes include lightning, smoking, children, railroads and campfires.

"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," Miller said. "And to those who intentionally set wildfires, know that we investigate each incident and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."

Aaron Lee of the Amherst New Era-Progress also contributed.