Officials are hopeful for two to three inches of rain to stop the fire from growing any further.

The fire spans about the size of 1,900 football fields.

The area where the wildfire is located is federally protected, limiting the kind of tools crews can use.

Big Island Elementary School will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 15 due to air quality concerns in the area, according to Bedford County Public Schools.

The Matts Creek wildfire is now fully contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The project has been held up in court, but now, the USDA Forest Service has issued a Record of Decision signed by USDA Undersecretary Wilkes to allow for the plan to move forward in a 3.5-mile corridor of the Jefferson National Forest.

RICHMOND, Va. – Mountain Valley Pipeline has another two years to finish a natural gas pipeline. The Roanoke Times reports that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also lifted a stop-work order for all but a 25-mile segment of the interstate transmission line that includes the Jefferson National Forest and adjacent land. While acknowledging problems with erosion and sedimentation during the first two years of construction, FERC found that allowing the pipeline to be completed is best for both the environment and the public. In a 2-1 decision, the commission wrote that the presence of equipment, personnel, and partially completed construction is disruptive to landowners. However, new legal challenges could limit the scope of work.

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. - A forest fire burning next to the James River in Bedford County is still smoking, but United States Forest Service crews are now having an easier time containing it. The nearly five-acre fire in the Jefferson National Forest, which the U.S. Forest Service has dubbed the "Cliff Fire," intensified Friday morning and has been active ever since. "This has been a challenging fire due to the steepness of the terrain and the fact that it's located in the wilderness," said U.S. Forest Service firefighter Adam Christie. However, Christie says, the crews have used the empty trails as fire lines to stop the fire from spreading further. There's no estimate for when the fire will be extinguished, but the Forest Service says no buildings or land outside of the forest are endangered by the blaze.

AMHERST COUNTY, Va. - Crews are battling a blaze in the Jefferson National Forest. The fire was first reported Friday at 10:30 a.m. and is now about 20 acres. The fire is located south of U.S. 501 and the James River within the James River Face Wilderness on the Jefferson National Forest. About 20 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service are currently working on the fire, along with one heavy helicopter. The fire has caused the following closures:A 10-mile section of the Appalachian Trail (Trail #1) from US-501 at the James River Foot Bridge south to Petites Gap Road (Road #35)The James River Foot Bridge parking areaMatts Creek Trail (Old A.T., no current trail number)Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

Two Virginia Tech students were shot to death in Jefferson National Forest in 2009. Copyright 2019 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.