Hot Springs, Va. February 14, 2022- The USDA Forest will begin conducting spring season prescribed burns in Bath and Alleghany Counties as early as February. Prescribed burns improve wildlife habitat by restoring open woodlands and grasslands to the forest landscape. Safety is the Forest Service’s top priority, and Forest fire managers will conduct prescribed burns in the following areas only under appropriate weather conditions:
The 1,800-acre Fore Mountain burn area is located six miles northwest of Clifton Forge. Fore Mountain Trail (Forest Trail 473), Dolly Anne Road (Forest Road 125), White Oak Flat Road (Forest Road 337) and State Route 606 may be temporarily closed. The prescribed burn may have lingering smoke effects in the Clifton Forge area and along the I-64 corridor. The 1,150-acre Tri-County burn area located in Longdale Furnace, is one tenth of a mile southeast of I-64. The burn area runs directly adjacent to Green Pastures Recreation Area. Portions of North Mountain Trail (Forest Trail 467), Yaccrs Run Trail (Forest Trail 658) and Tri County Road (Forest Road 271) may be temporarily closed. The prescribed burn is expected to have lingering smoke effects in the Longdale Furnace area and along the I-64 corridor. The 500-acre Spice Run burn area is located ten miles south of Covington in the Children’s Forest area of Alleghany County. Children’s Forest Loop Trail (Forest Trail 627), Children’s Forest Horse Trail (Forest Trail 628), Potts Mountain Road (Forest Road 351) and Tucker Road (Forest Road 351C) may be temporarily closed. The 517-acre Morris Hill burn area, located ten miles north of Covington, includes the Morris Hill Campground at Lake Moomaw. The Fortney Loop Trail (Forest Trail 418), State Route 600, State Route 605 and the Morris Hill Campground may be temporarily closed. The 124-acre Coles Point burn area, located ten miles north of Covington, contains the Coles Point Recreation Area at Lake Moomaw. The entire recreation area, Cole Trail (Forest Trail 425), Kelly Bridge Trail (Forest Trail 462) and State Route 605 may be temporarily closed. The 60-acre Evans Tact burn area is located three miles southeast of Clifton Forge along the banks of the Cowpasture River. Robinson Road (Forest Road 3024) may be temporarily closed. The 74-acre Walton Tract burn area is located five miles Southwest of Millboro Springs and ten miles Northeast of Clifton Forge. The Beards Mountain Spur Trail (459A), Watson Road (Forest Road 637), Upper Boat Launch Road (Forest Road 637G) and Crizers Gap Road (State Route 632) may be temporarily closed. The prescribed burn is expected to have lingering smoke effects in the Nimrod Hall area and along the Cowpasture River Highway (State Route 42) corridor. The 344-acre Coffee Pot burn area is located one mile Southwest of Millboro Springs and seven miles West of Goshen. The Coffee Pot Road (Forest Road 462) may be temporarily closed. The prescribed burn is expected to have lingering smoke effects in the Millboro Springs area and along the State Route 42 and State Route 39 corridors. The 1,195-acre Porters Mill burn area is located four miles southeast of Hot Springs and four miles north of Douthat State Park. The Salt Pond Ridge Trail (Forest Trail 620), Brushy Ridge Rd (Forest Road 1901), and Limekiln Road (Forest Road 194) may be temporarily closed. The prescribed burn is expected to have lingering smoke effects in the Millboro Springs area and along the State Route 42 and State Route 39 corridors. The 6,060-acre Big Wilson burn area is located two miles southeast of Hot Springs. Brushy Ridge Trail (Forest Trail 456), Little Mare Mountain Trail (Forest Trail 714), Lick Block Trail (Forest Trail 461), Sandy Gap Trail (Forest Trail 637), Brushy Ridge Rd (Forest Road 1901), Dolly Anne Rd (Forest Road 125), State Route 703 and the Homestead Skyline Drive Road may be temporarily closed. The prescribed burn is expected to have lingering smoke effects in the Hot Springs area, the Ingalls Field Airport and along the State Route 39, State Route 629 and U.S. Route 220 corridors. The 2,250-acre Jackson River burn area located four miles north of Warm Springs is within the Hidden Valley Recreation Area and along the Jackson River. The Jackson River Gorge Trail (Forest Trail 481D), Hidden Valley Trail (Forest Trail 481), and Hidden Valley Road (Forest Road 241) may be temporarily closed. The prescribed burn is expected to have lingering smoke effects in the Burnsville, Williamsville and Monterey areas and along the U.S. Route 220 corridor. Smaller units within the 2,944-acre Hidden Valley burn area may be burned this winter and spring. The grass fields are located three miles north of Warm Springs and total 62 acres. The Cobbler Mountain Trail (Forest Trail 611), Neal Run Trail (Forest Trail 619), Jackson River Gorge Trail (Forest Trail 481D), Hidden Valley Trails, and Forest Road 241 may be temporarily closed. The prescribed burn may have lingering smoke effects in the U.S. Route 220 and State Route 39 corridors. For your safety, please follow posted signs and closures when they occur. Depending on wind direction, residents and travelers in these areas may see or smell smoke on the day of the burn. The Forest Service works closely with partners and is able to accomplish this important habitat work thanks to help from The Nature Conservancy, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the Virginia Department of Forestry, among others. Experienced fire managers will closely monitor local weather conditions, such as wind and humidity, and adjust the schedule as needed to ensure the safety of both crewmembers and local residents. Prior to lighting the burn, crews construct and designate firebreaks to ensure the fire does not leave the burn area. Burn areas are carefully planned to protect structures. The burn will mimic historic natural fire as much as possible. Some individual trees will burn, but the fire should travel mostly across the forest floor. For thousands of years, fire shaped our forests and wildlife and our lands need fire to be healthy. Low intensity prescribed burns create open areas where a diverse mix of grasses, plants and wildflowers grow, and provide valuable food and cover for wildlife such as bear, deer, turkey and migratory birds. For the most up-to-date information visit the inciweb site: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7945/ For more information on our prescribed burn program, please contact the James River and Warm Springs Ranger Districts at (540)839-2521 or visit our website www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj. You can also follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/GWJNF and facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GWJNF
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