Fire on the mountain … Blue Ridge blaze in Augusta County south of Afton
By Lynn R. Mitchell | Monday, November 14th, 2011 | Shenandoah, Virginia
Smoke from a forest fire could be seen Sunday on the ridge behind the Target shopping center in Waynesboro.
Smoke could also be seen from the Parkway and Howardsville Turnpike south of Afton Mountain and I-64.
Valley residents could see it from miles away.
Fire creeps up the mountain ridge near Lyndhurst in eastern Augusta County.
A forest fire was spreading in the Blue Ridge Mountains south of Afton Mountain and I-64 on Sunday afternoon, working its way up the ridge in an area between Rt. 340 and the Blue Ridge Parkway/ Howardsville Turnpike. Heavy smoke could be seen from miles away as it drifted over Waynesboro leaving the smell of wood smoke hanging in the air. As windy conditions continued in the area on Monday, U.S. Forestry officials said the fire had been contained. No word yet on how the fire began but forestry crews were reportedly on the scene. More from the Waynesboro News Virginian and reporter Bob Stuart.
<b>Update Monday:</b> Extremely strong overnight winds caused the fire to spread to hundreds of acres and the Forestry Service now has 40+ firefighters and Hotshots on the scene. It is now believed to be more than one fire that started late Saturday night or early Sunday. Ken Slack with NBC-29 has an update of information and conditions.
See also Winter woods have returned to Afton & Blue Ridge Parkway
Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
13 November 2011
Cross-posted at LynnRMitchell.com
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About the author
Lynn R. Mitchell
As SWAC Girl (an acronym for Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County), Lynn has been writing in the Virginia political blogosphere since 2006. Active in area politics, she has coordinated campaigns and served in leadership for the past decade. The Shenandoah Valley of Virginia is one of the most beautiful places to call home ... the Republican Party carries her beliefs.
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2 Responses to "Fire on the mountain … Blue Ridge blaze in Augusta County south of Afton"
Saw this coming back from the Homestead this weekend… also took the chance to stop by the Frontier Culture Museum (based on your excellent posts on the place). WOW!! What a great place and a great time!!!
Ended up spending a good $100 on books there too! A tad bit heavy on the Northern Ireland stuff (Ulster this, Ulster that… bah…) but beyond that, I LOVED IT!!!!
Shaun, glad the Frontier Culture Museum lived up to expectations. I love that place … used it to reinforce history while teaching my children at home. This year’s home schoolers day brought in 1,500 students and parents from across the state. Wish I had known you were just 10 minutes from my house … I would have stopped by to give you a hard time. :p
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