The USDA Forest Service will begin conducting prescribed burns in Augusta, Bath and Rockingham Counties, VA, between March and late May 2022. Prescribed burns keep the public and homes safe by reducing the buildup of dried leaves and wood in nearby forest land that can lead to uncontrolled wildfires. They can also improve wildlife habitat by restoring open woodlands and grasslands to the forest landscape. Safety is the Forest Service’s top priority and Forest Service fire managers will conduct controlled burns in the following areas only under appropriate weather conditions:
Augusta County, VA - The 6300-acre Archer Knob prescribed burn unit is located on Great North Mountain 2.7 miles southwest of Craigsville and seven miles northwest of Deerfield. For your safety, please follow posted signs and comply with road closures when they occur. Phillips Lick Road (Forest Service Roads 381), Hite Hollow Road (Forest Service Road 82) and Archer Run Road (Forest Service Road 382), and the Hite Hollow shooting range may be temporarily closed during the burn. Residents of Craigsville and Deerfield and travelers on Little Calfpasture River Road (State Highway 42) may see or smell smoke. Ignition will take a minimum of three days to complete and depending on wind direction, this controlled burn may have lingering smoke effects.
The 1,118-acre Elkhorn prescribed burn unit located on Elkhorn Mountain is approximately four miles southwest of Stokesville. For your safety, please follow posted signs and comply with road closures when they occur. North River Road (Forest Service Road 95) may be temporarily closed during the burn. Campers in the North River Campground and residents of Stokesville or Staunton may see or smell smoke. Ignition will take a minimum of one day to complete. and depending on wind direction, this controlled burn may have lingering smoke effects. Interior burning and residual smoke can be expected for several days following ignition unless precipitation occurs.
The 897-acre Grindstone Mountain prescribed burn unit is located one mile west of Stokesville. For your safety, please follow posted signs and comply with road closures when they occur. Smoke may be visible along sections of County Roads 101 and 95, and Tillman Road (Forest Service Road 101) for the duration of the burn. Residents of Stokesville, West Augusta, Briery Branch and Bridgewater may see or smell smoke. Ignition will take a minimum of one day to complete and depending on wind direction, this controlled burn may have lingering smoke effects.
Rockingham County, VA - The 1,275-acre Gauley Ridge prescribed burn unit is south of Gate Mountain and 20 miles northeast of the City of Harrisonburg. For your safety, please follow posted signs and comply with road closures when they occur. Slate Lick Run Road (Forest Service Road 230) may be temporarily closed during the burn. Residents of Fulks Run and Harrisonburg and travelers on Slate Lick Run Road may see or smell smoke. Depending on wind direction, this controlled burn may have lingering smoke effects.
Experienced fire managers will closely monitor local weather conditions, such as wind and humidity, and adjust the schedule as needed to ensure the safety of both crewmembers and local residents. Prior to lighting the burn, crews construct and designate firebreaks to ensure the fire does not leave the burn area. The burn will mimic historic natural fire as much as possible. Some individual trees will burn, but the fire should travel mostly across the forest floor.
For thousands of years, fire shaped our forests and wildlife and our lands need fire to be healthy. Low intensity prescribed burns create open areas where a diverse mix of grasses, plants and wildflowers grow, and provide valuable food and cover for wildlife such as bears, deer, turkeys and migratory birds.
For the most up-to-date information visit the inciweb site: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7945/
For more information on our prescribed burn program, please contact the North River Ranger District at (540) 432-0187. You can also visit our website: www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj, or follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GWJNF and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GWJNF