UPDATE
The wildfire in Augusta County, which has scorched 1,965 acres, is now 12% contained as of Tuesday morning, according to the USDA Forest Service.
Authorities said Monday’s rain and lighter winds helped mitigate the fire’s impact.
“This gave crews a valuable time window to improve containment lines established earlier and perform mop-up operations where the fire had reached the Coal Road,” the USDA Forest Service said. “Additional manpower in the form of a 20-person initial attack hand crew from Pat Rick Wildland Fire arrived and was immediately deployed to the lines. A fire crew from AmeriCorps will also go into the line today.”
With more than 80 personnel now at the scene, crews will continue to focus on strengthening containment lines along Coal Road and the Bald Mountain Jeep Trail.
As mentioned previously, there are several temporary closures in place, such as:
- Cold Springs Trail
- Cellar Mountain Trail
- Bald Mountain Jeep Trail
- Bald Mountain Spur Road
- Saint Mary’s Trail
- Saint Mary’s Gorge Trail
- The national forest system lands north of the Saint Mary’s Trail and within the area bounded by the Bald Mountain Jeep Trail and the Coal Road are also closed
For continuous updates throughout the day, head to the GWJNF website.
ORIGINAL STORY
The Big Levels Fire in Augusta County near the Rockbridge County line continues to grow Monday morning.
According to the USDA Forest Service, the wildfire in George Washington and Jefferson National Forest is now approximately 1,150 acres in size, a 775 increase from Saturday.
Firefighters from the USDA Forest Service, the Virginia Department of Forestry and the Stuarts Draft Volunteer Fire Department are working to prevent the fire from spreading to a private property next to it by establishing control lines.
The Forest Service says people should expect to see smoke for the next several days as firefighters work to contain the fire. They said there is a chance dry conditions and gusty winds could make containment difficult. Residents are asked to avoid the fire area for their safety.
In the meantime, the following roads and trails remain temporarily closed:
- Cellar Mountain Trail
- Cold Springs Trail
- The Bald Mountain Spur Road
- Saint Mary’s Trail
- Saint Mary’s Gorge Trail
- The Bald Mountain Jeep Trail
For continuous updates throughout the day, head to the GWJNF website.
