
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, October 17, 1995                   TAG: 9510170098
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                                LENGTH: Short

DRY FORESTS ARE RIPE FOR FIRE

Dry conditions have increased the likelihood of forest fires throughout the state in the next few weeks, a Virginia Department of Forestry spokesman said.

Lou Southard said that although recent rains have helped some, conditions still are prime for forest fires during the fall fire season, which runs through early December.

``The longer you go in a drought condition, the drier your fuels get,'' Southard said. ``We are encouraging people not to burn debris.''

Early this year, officials predicted the worst fire season in 30 years because of downed trees and other kindling on the ground in the woods. However, only two large blazes were recorded during the spring fire season.

A fire in Page County burned 1,000 acres and destroyed a house. Another fire in Nelson County burned 1,200 acres. Overall, 1,560 fires have burned 9,000 acres throughout the state, surpassing last year's lower-than-average total of 1,544 fires and 7,431 burned acres.

Southard credited a $400,000 public information campaign with preventing a much worse spring fire season.

- Associated Press

by CNB