According to statistics released Thursday, the situation is most dangerous in the central Appalachian Mountains, in the states of West Virginia and Virginia. One of the largest fires broke out in Rockingham County, Virginia, burning about 2,000 hectares of forest, MTI reported.
In a neighboring county, classes were suspended due to the fire, and emergency accommodation was set up at a high school in case of evacuation.
The Virginia Office of Environmental Quality issued a warning about air pollution due to smoke, calling for restrictions on outdoor activities.
The West Virginia Forest Service on Wednesday called attention to increased caution in forests during the spring season.
Cold, very dry and windy weather helps the fire spread to the affected states. Unusually, the air humidity does not exceed 15-20 percent, which contributes to the formation of fires, and a fire can easily start from a spark in dry bushes.
On Wednesday, wind gusts reached 95-100 kilometers per hour in some parts of the mountainous region.
Video from several fires in Pendleton Co West Virginia tonight. Captured by Rick Gillespie. He has 7 fires started in Pendleton, all of which are under control and contained tonight pic.twitter.com/Vxv6zR8IU8
– Aubrey Urbanovich (@WHSVaubs) March 21, 2024
Forest fires and winds caused power outages to about 10,000 consumers in the region.
As we reported last month, in February a total of five active wildfires were reported in Texas, USA, with the greatest devastation being caused by the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which has already spread over an area of more than 1.1 million hectares.
Comprehensive analyses, world-changing questions, and visions for the future in one volume.
Follow Index on Facebook too!
