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Spring Forest
Fire Report
The Division of Forestry reports that 431 forest fires burned 1044.3 acres of forest land in the 16-county Northern Piedmont District to date for this year. In Rappahannock County, 3 fires have burned 2.5 acres of forest land. Last year, the first four months showed a total of 147 fires, and these fires burned 368.2 forested acres in the Northern Piedmont area. This year the fire danger was low during January, but severe conditions developed! during February and lingered on through much of Ma-ch and April. During these months, forest wardens and volunteer fire departments were able to keep the average size of the fire relatively small, even though fires were numerous. The Division of Fop estry fire danger weather station, located in Charlottesville, recorded the following rainfall in the first four months of 1968: January 0.63 inches, February 0.21 inches, March 2.81 inches, and April 1.91 inches. A deficiency was noted in all four months amounting to more than half the normal rainfall. The high percentage of the District fires were caused by brush and trash burning. Another major cause was smoking, and children playing with matches accounted for a large number of fires. Railroads are responsible for about 20 percent, a6 burning carbon, hot metal from brakes, and burning fusees cause fires on the railroad rights-of-way which often burn into the forests. The coming of Spring with all its new greenery does not mean that the danger of forest fires has passed. A few dry days, warm temperatures, a little wind, and materials which normally burn rapidly can cause the forest warden serious trouble.
| Fire and Rescue \
' Squad Notes
85.9%