Two wildfires in western Virginia on Thursday worried some residents when the scent of smoke drifted as far as the District.
According to officials, the wildfires are both burning on federal land, one in the Shenandoah National Park and the other in George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. Trails in both parks were closed because of the fire.
By 6 p.m. Thursday, the Point 2 Wildfire in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests was about 353 acres, and only 5 percent contained, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture Forest Service. It is located on Massanutten Mountain between Sherman Gap and Veach Gap, spanning both Shenandoah and Warren Counties. It was first detected on Monday.
Trails were also closed in the Shenandoah National Park for the Neighbor Mountain Fire.
Wildfires have been wreaking havoc in other areas of the country, including Colorado, where fires have destroyed hundreds of homes and scorched thousands of acres.
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Meredith Somers is a Metro reporter for The Washington Times. She can be reached at msomers@washingtontimes.com.
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