Brush fire stalls traffic on interstate
Brush fire stalls traffic on interstate
23 January 2009
published by www.newsvirginian.com
USA — A mile-long brush fire backed up traffic along southbound Interstate 81 for more than five miles near Fort Defiance, but other than light damage to a barn, it caused no structure damage.
The right southbound lane of I-81 was shut down just after 2 p.m. and stayed closed for more than two hours, causing backups of more than five miles. Traffic also backed up on Route 11 southbound for more than a mile at Mount Sidney.
According to Patti Nylander, county forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry, firefighters encountered five separate spot fires that broke out along I-81 in the area around Route 616. The wind, she said, eventually caused the separate fires to merge into one.
It was primarily a wind-driven fire, just with the bad weather, Nylander said.
The blaze, she said, is still under investigation.
It probably wasnt a cigarette, Nylander said. Usually when you have the spot fires like that, its one of two things. Its either usually like a blown tire with hot rubber or pieces of metal, or a catalytic converter, and its shooting pieces out and it catches dry grass.
Flames charred the ground alongside the interstate and slightly damaged one barn, but quick action from firefighters saved it.
There was a lot of houses in these fields, so they had a lot of structure protection they had to do, Nylander said.
Firefighters sprayed water around the perimeter of the charred ground to prevent any fire from restarting.
Along with slowdowns on I-81, traffic also backed up on Route 11 southbound from Mount Sidney for about a mile leading to Route 616 at Dam Town Road.
Seven different fire companies responded to the fire Augusta County, Grottoes, New Hope, Verona, Weyers Cave, Mount Solon and Bridgewater. Augusta County sheriffs deputies and the Virginia State Police directed traffic around the area.
They really did a standup job, Nylander said.
