Fire crews have improved containment lines at the Rocky Mtn Fire by burning out vegetation between the fire and eight miles of containment lines along the northern and northwestern perimeter of the fire yesterday afternoon and evening.
Additional fire line preparation was successfully completed along the Skyline Parkway as well. Several dozer lines were completed or improved along the western side of the fire to tie together existing terrain features to improve containment. With the changing and variable winds yesterday fire crews picked up multiple spot fires, catching and containing all of them. These included: on the south eastern side, a spot fire north of the Patterson Ridge Trail west of the Plainfield hut, one small one on the northwest corner of the fire and 6 small spot fires near the One Mile Trail Run.
Fire crews are also providing structure protection near 2 Mile Run and Lam Hollow communities. Total fire acres as of 6 p.m. yesterday evening are 5,616. The weather remains dry today; however, a cold front is expected to bring increasing winds this afternoon.
The fire, which was first reported on Saturday, April 16th is burning in mountain laurel, pine, and oak forests with heavier than average leaf litter and duff.
Today crews are continuing to actively suppress spot fires in the area of Skyline Drive. Crews continue to hold the containment line at Beldor Hollow Rd. and are mopping up in that area. Crews are working to complete a handline to tie into the dozer line for containment along the western park boundary.
Priorities are structure protection and containing the fire within the boundaries of the park, west of Skyline Drive, east of 2 Mile Run community, west of Beldor Hollow fire road, and north of Madison Run Road to minimize impacts to private lands.
Update: Thursday, 4:13 p.m. Due to fire activity the following additional closures have been issues by Shenandoah National Park:
Furnace MTN trail
Trayfoot Mtn trail
Jones run trail
Doyle’s river trail
Appalachian Trail and Skyline Drive closures have been extended southward to Blackrock Gap Road, mm 87.5
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