LEWISBURG, W.Va. — Monday’s rain across parts of West Virginia was a welcome respite to fire crews who have been battling forest fires all across the state in recent days.
The low humidity, high winds, and cool temperatures Saturday and Sunday set things up for forest fire conditions. In Greenbrier County, crews spent much of the weekend just trying to keep up. Lewisburg Fire Chief Joe Thomas said a controlled burn, started before the 5 p.m. allowance, got out of control quickly.
“Down in Caldwell, it was controlled, but it was before the five-o’clock time frame. Fire conditions that day, the humidity was down real low, the winds were up a little bit and it pushed up into the high fire danger and they didn’t realize it and lit the fire a little early and it got out of hand on them,” said Thomas.
The fire burned up the hill toward a subdivision, but crews were able to get it controlled before it threatened any homes in the neighborhood. A total of 61 acres burned in the fire on Saturday before it was brought under control around 9:00 p.m.
Sunday evening, fire departments in Greenbrier County were out again with a fire near White Sulphur Springs. The fire on Tuckahoe Road was reported around 5:15 p.m. Crews from across Greenbrier County were quickly out on the scene again and got the fire under control although hot spots burned well into the evening.
Throughout West Virginia in recent days crews have been working overtime dealing with forest fires. Pendleton County’s Office of Emergency Services had a fire covering more than 50 acres in the area of Buffalo Mountain for several days last week.
The West Virginia Division of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, and many local volunteer fire companies have been busy trying to stay ahead of the fires. Officials urge the public to refrain from any burning until the conditions improve. The current spring burning restrictions are in place. All outdoor burning must be done after 5 p.m. and the fire must be out by 7 a.m.