Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 17, 1994 TAG: 9403170064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: DIANNE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Of those fires, four were ignited by people burning debris. And arson is suspected in a small brush fire that burned about a half-acre in Pulaski County on Wednesday morning, said Chris Thomsen of the Forestry Department.
"Historically, March through May is always worse than other months, because you have dormant forests, and you're getting spring- and summerlike conditions with high winds and lower humidities," he said. "If someone strikes a match with those conditions, you get a fire."
March 1 began Virginia's burn ban, which restricts the hours people can burn debris on their property to between 4 p.m. and midnight. The regulation runs until May 15, and, in some counties, including parts of Roanoke County, residents are required to get a permit to burn debris.
Brush fires can spread easily, especially under the current weather conditions, which are windy and dry, said Greg Sanders, assistant chief of fire management in the state Forestry Department's Charlottesville office. Since the ice storms, there are more fallen trees and more people eager to burn the debris in their yards, he said.
Of the 929 forest fires last year, 33 percent were started when debris fires got out of control, said Sanders. The other leading causes were arson and cigarettes.
About 98 percent of the forest and brush fires that the Forestry Department contends with are started by people, Sanders said.
"The way we look at it is that 98 percent of the fires we have are preventable," he added.
The one advantage for firefighters this season is the winter's high precipitation, which has provided a cushion of wet soil on the forest floor, making it difficult for fires to spread.
But the fallen trees have added other obstacles for those fighting the fires, said Roanoke County Fire Chief Tommy Fuqua.
Downed trees along with high winds and the rough mountain terrain challenged firefighters at a Bent Mountain brush fire for more than four hours Tuesday. That fire engulfed about two acres.
"We can spend as much time cutting through downed trees to get to the fire as we can putting out the fire," Thomsen said.
The full effects of the ice storms won't be felt until this fall, particularly if it's a dry summer, he said. By then, Thomsen said, the debris will have had time to dry out, creating a potentially hazardous fire situation.
Memo: Note: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.