Friday, June 20, 2008
Botetourt County blaze continues to grow
A forest fire in Botetourt County is growing, said Barb Walker, a public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service.
Walker said that the service on Thursday night estimated the fire, located around Stone Coal Gap on Caldwell Mountain, was burning around 100 acres. Now they believe the fire, caused by lightning, to be larger, she said.
An accurate size of the fire is unavailable until rangers survey the land by helicopter, Walker said. But the exponential growth is unexpected, she said.
"It's creeping a little more than we expected," she said. "It's burning pretty good."
A group of professional firefighters from Augusta are coming to the area to assist with blaze, Walker said. She said the rocky terrain of the mountain will hamper their speed as they move to extinguish the flames.
Walker predicts the fire will last into next week if weather conditions don't aid in the fight against the flames, but she said there is no need for alarm. With fires caused by lightning, she said the flames are usually in isolated areas compared to blazes started by campfires.
"The public is going to see a lot of smoke," she said. "But don't be alarmed because with low winds and weather conditions, the smoke will be around. We are on it."
Walker said that the service on Thursday night estimated the fire, located around Stone Coal Gap on Caldwell Mountain, was burning around 100 acres. Now they believe the fire, caused by lightning, to be larger, she said.
An accurate size of the fire is unavailable until rangers survey the land by helicopter, Walker said. But the exponential growth is unexpected, she said.
"It's creeping a little more than we expected," she said. "It's burning pretty good."
A group of professional firefighters from Augusta are coming to the area to assist with blaze, Walker said. She said the rocky terrain of the mountain will hamper their speed as they move to extinguish the flames.
Walker predicts the fire will last into next week if weather conditions don't aid in the fight against the flames, but she said there is no need for alarm. With fires caused by lightning, she said the flames are usually in isolated areas compared to blazes started by campfires.
"The public is going to see a lot of smoke," she said. "But don't be alarmed because with low winds and weather conditions, the smoke will be around. We are on it."
