High winds fan fires across Va. (updated)

Get out your Bush Gear boys ….

About 30 homes were evacuated in Campbell County due to a wild land fire. Other Counties across the Commonwealth are facing similar situations.

Wild Fire Forces Evacuation: Fox2127.com

Here’s video coverage from WDBJ 7 on a Blacksburg blaze ..

The high winds also had Cave Spring firefighters hard at work as they battled a house and brush fire.

Embers from the house fire ignited brush and mulch fire throughout the neighborhood.

Roanoke County Fire/Rescue Department spokeswoman Jennifer Conley Sexton said. “Additional crews were assigned to protect a neighboring house from the flames and were able to keep the damage to a minimum, she said”

See full coverage from the Roanoke Times  HERE

Roanoke City and Cave Spring units were also dispatched to a reported barn fire at the City / County line on Friday. First arriving units reported a 100 x 100 barn fully involved but I have been unable to find and news coverage.

Our County brothers and sisters see several brush (wild land or wild land interface) fires per year. Here in the City, we don’t and I’m GLAD. If I’m gonna go stomping around through the woods, I want a riffle or cold beer in my hand… LOL

The County actually received the Governor’s Award for their actions on the Greenridge Mountain Fire in 2009.

Anyway, conditions are to the point that the National Weather Service has issued a  RED FLAG WARNING for parts of Va. That’s a rare occasion in Va and the East Coast in general. Rhett has an article the Warning over @ Va Fire News  HERE.

Dave Statter over at Statter911 has coverage of fires across Washington DC and Prince George’s County  HERE

UPDATE: From Statter911.. ” One of the busiest days in PGFD History …”

I’ll assume that these brothers don’t see a lot of wild land fires either because of the use of turnout gear ( I also spotted some in the Blacksburg video above). Again, I’m not a wild fire expert but I do hate to see members climbing up and down mountains and hillsides in bunker pants,coats and SCBAs.

If your Department doesn’t issue “brush gear” maybe you have “USAR gear”? Anything other than full turnouts. Station uniforms, steel toed boots, helmet (with face shield or eye protection) and gloves …I don’t know … just a thought … I’d hate to see a brother or sister hurt out there because they weren’t properly equipped.

Stay Safe and in house!

Captain Wines.