A wildfire in the Shenandoah National park has closed a 25-mile stretch of Skyline Drive and 13 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
The National Park Service announced Monday that Skyline Drive had been closed from Rockfish Gap to Loft Mountain and the Appalachian Trail from Rockfish Gap to Turk Gap.
A fire ban is now in effect, prohibiting all open-air fires in the park. That includes any type of wood fire, charcoal fire, wood-burning camp stove, charcoal grill or gas and propane cooking stove.
Firefighters Monday were working to assess the full extent of the blaze, which park officials said was centered around Bear Den Mountain.
Most of Virginia is now under a red-flag warning, according to the National Weather Service, meaning conditions are ideal for wildfire combustion and rapid spread. All of the Shenandoah National Park is experiencing a drought, and the National Park Service was reporting wind gusts in excess of 20 mph Monday.
Incoming rain this week should help firefighters combat the wildfire in the park.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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