Thirty-two firefighters from York, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk and Portsmouth were deployed under a statewide mutual aid request from Rockbridge. Virginia Beach firefighters also took two brush trucks and a tanker truck. Chesapeake sent a small transportation bus, a large equipment truck and a firefighter rehab truck.
Approximately 2,665 acres are burning in western Rockbridge County and eastern Alleghany County. Dry conditions and gusty winds have allowed the fire to spread rapidly in recent days, consuming a total of more than 20,000 acres. The Virginia Department of Forestry said the fire, which is in an area called Rich Hole, grew by 1,506 acres between Tuesday and Wednesday. Portions of east and westbound Interstate 64 in those localities were closed earlier this week due to the fire. A separate fire in the nearby Alleghany Tunnels has grown to nearly 7,000 acres.
Newport News Fire Battalion Chief Steve Pincus said the challenge for firefighters in Rockbridge is its location in a remote mountainous area. He said it can be challenging in that type of environment to get firefighters and equipment in to directly attack the fire.
Pincus said firefighters are likely using a combination of tactics to control the fire, including creating a fire line around the active areas to try to keep the fire from spreading by clearing out trees, plants and debris. He said the U.S. Forestry Service is using helicopters to make water drops and some firefighters are attacking the fire on the ground with hand lines. Read More
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