Home Open field brush fire in Albemarle County caused by fallen power line
News

Open field brush fire in Albemarle County caused by fallen power line

Crystal Graham
fire
(© Peter Kim – stock.adobe.com)

A brush fire in an open field in Albemarle County Tuesday night was contained, and there was no loss to life or property.

Albemarle County Fire Rescue and the Department of Forestry responded to a report of a brush fire on Old Lynchburg Road at 9:40 p.m. The first truck arrived on the scene within 13 minutes.

Career and volunteer crew members were able to contain the fire to the field.

The Department of Forestry responded with a bulldozer to assist in containing the fire by digging a fire break.  A fire break is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a brush or wildfire. This allowed fire crews to use small hose lines to extinguish the fire.

Wind gusts at the time of the fire were 25+ mph. It took units approximately 90 minutes to extinguish the flames.

No injuries were reported.

The Albemarle County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the cause of the fire was downed power lines that sparked and ignited the ground cover.

Support AFP

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, Crystal Graham has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of "Virginia Tonight," a nightly TV news show, both broadcast on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television. You can reach her at [email protected]

Latest News

jon scheyer
Basketball

A top-ranked Duke team, again, chokes away a game in March: That’s a shame

ethan anderson uva baseball
Baseball

UVA Baseball alum Ethan Anderson keys Baysox in exhibition with Shorebirds

UVA Baseball alum Ethan Anderson had a two-run double and a solo homer in an extended spring training exhibition game on Sunday between the Chesapeake Baysox and the Delmarva Shorebirds, two minor-league affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles.

eric becker uva baseball
Baseball

UVA Baseball: #9 ‘Hoos salvage series finale at Boston College with 3-1 win

Ninth-ranked Virginia, shut out for the previous 14 innings, dating back to the ninth inning on Friday night, pushed across three runs in the top of the eighth to salvage the series finale at Boston College, winning 3-1 on Sunday.

softball
Baseball

UVA Softball: ‘Hoos complete weekend sweep of Pitt with 4-1 win

vdot road
Local News

VDOT: Local road work on the schedule for the week of March 30-April 3

iran
Politics

The implications of Donald Trump’s strategic miscalculation in Iran

teen addiction recovery mental health drug alcohol3
Politics

When headlines make you snap: Managing displaced anger in anxious times