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be concentrated around the boundary in an effort to protect property outside the park.
It has also come to my attention that park neighbors are concerned that some local volunteer fire departments and individuals were turned away as they tried to enter the park to fight the fires. It is true that members of a volunteer fire department were asked to pull back from the Pinnacles fire on Oct. 29 when it appeared too hazardous for their continued involvement.
Also, members of another volunteer fire department were advised against entering the park the night of Oct. 30 to fight the fire on Old Rag; and various other attempts at independent action were turned down or delayed until they could be "folded into" the overall fire fighting operation.
While I appreciate and admire the willingness to help displayed by the individuals involved, safety was our primary concern. Fires such as these burning in steep, rocky terrain during hours of darkness and driven by strong and variable winds are especially dangerous. No resources, either in or outside of the park, were being threatened to such an extent that firefighters should have been called upon to expose themselves to such risks.
A team of specialists from the Department of the Interior has assessed impacts the fires had on natural and cultural resources in the park. A summary of their findings is available by writing or calling Lyn Rothgeb, Shenandoah National Park, 3655 U.S. Highway 211 East, Luray, Va., 22835; phone (540)999-3311.
Douglas K. Morris
Superintendent, Shenandoah
National Park
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