Fire staff had a successful day of blacklining along the control lines of the North Fork Prescribed Burn Area today, Nov. 10.  The unit is now ready to be burned. If conditions and staffing permits, fire staff will burn the entire North Fork Prescribed Burn area tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 11. Check back for updates.

Blacklining has begun along the control lines (aka fire lines) that encircle the North Fork Prescribed Burn area.  When blacklining, fire managers burn fuels adjacent to a control line to widen the line before igniting a prescribed burn. Blacklining is usually done in heavy fuels adjacent to a control line during periods of low fire danger to reduce heat on holding crews and lessen chances for spotting across control line.

You may see or smell smoke during blacklining operations. 

Conditions are looking favorable to burn in the North Fork Prescribed Burn Area Thursday Nov. 11.
 
Weather and staffing permitting, fire managers plan to blackline (burn along the control line that encircles the North Fork Prescribed Burn area) this afternoon, Wednesday Nov. 10. You may see or smell smoke from blacklining activities.

Updates on burning activities in the North Fork area will be posted to this InciWeb page.  Please check back!

Elkins, W.Va., October 4, 2021 – Monongahela National Forest plans to conduct prescribed burns on about 1,100 acres in Greenbrier, Pendleton, Pocahontas, and Randolph counties from October through December, weather permitting. The purposes of these burns are to re-establish fire’s natural role in the forest ecosystem, improve forest health and wildlife habitat, and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

Project areas planned for prescribed burns this fall include:

• Big Mountain – west of Cherry Grove in Pendleton County
• County Line – north of Sue and Camp Wood in Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties
• North Fork – north of Neola in Greenbrier County

Monongahela fire staff also plan to burn brush piles at various locations in Pendleton, Pocahontas and Randolph counties to enhance grazing allotments, improve wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels. Pile burning may take place at any time of the year when conditions permit.

Each burn area will be closed to the public on the day of the burn, and may be closed for several days after, to ensure public safety. Signs will be posted on roads near all prescribed burn areas before and during burning. Residents and Forest visitors may see and smell smoke for several days. If you encounter smoke on the highway, slow down, turn on your vehicle’s lights and drive appropriately for the conditions.

Prescribed fires are conducted under specific weather conditions and are designed to accomplish pre-determined forest management goals. Monongahela National Forest follows strict guidelines for conducting prescribed burns, and takes into consideration environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and wind. If any environmental conditions are not within limits, the burns will be postponed.

Local radio stations will be alerted to burn activities ahead of time. When burning begins, information, photos, and maps will be available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/.

Elkins, W.Va., November 22, 2021 – This month Monongahela National Forest successfully completed three prescribed burns on about 1,000 acres in Greenbrier, Pendleton and Pocahontas counties. These prescribed burns are helping to re-establish fire’s natural role in the forest ecosystem, improve forest health and wildlife habitat, and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

“Fall is a good time to do a prescribed burn,” said Aaron Kendall, fire management officer for Monongahela National Forest. “Prescribed burning when conditions are right produces a slower moving burn and, in addition to providing ecological benefits, helps to reduce leaf litter and other hazardous fuels.”

Prescribed burns in the Big Mountain area help maintain the oak forest, promote oak regeneration, and will eventually increase mast that is crucial for wildlife.

The County Line and North Fork burns, in the southern part of the national forest, help create conditions that favor oak-hickory and oak-pine communities and reduce vegetation in the understory resulting in increased wildlife habitat diversity, increased mast, and ultimately a healthier forest. Many species also prefer a more open forest floor for breeding and foraging, which can result from periodic prescribed burning. In addition, the County Line and North Fork prescribed burns benefit the endangered Indiana bat by providing snags for roosting and encouraging flowering plants which attract bugs the bats like to eat.

Maps and photos of the prescribed burns can be found on InciWeb:

• Big Mountain – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7888/
• County Line – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7890/
• North Fork – https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7892/

Firefighters from Monongahela National Forest were assisted by several other organizations during prescribed burning this fall. Many thanks to the following groups:

• Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs District (Wyoming)
• Bureau of Land Management, Southern Nevada District (Nevada)
• Cimarron Hills Fire Protection District (Colorado)
• Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (West Virginia)
• National Park Service, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (West Virginia)
• South Arkansas Fire Protection District (Colorado)
• USDA Forest Service, Klamath National Forest (California)
• USDA Forest Service, Olympic National Forest (Washington)

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Fire staff checked the County Line Prescribed Burn Friday, Nov. 12.  Burn objectives were accomplished and this prescribed fire was declared complete.

Please check West Virginia Division of Forestry's Fire Burning Guidelines if you are planning any outdoor burning:
https://commerce.wv.gov/october-1-is-the-start-of-fall-fire-season-west-virginia-residents-urged-to-follow-burning-guidelines/

And, our friend Smokey Bear has a lot of wildfire prevention information at his webpage:
https://smokeybear.com/

Fire staff had the right conditions and staffing to burn in the County Line Prescribed Burn area yesterday, Nov. 11. They are on site today patrolling fire control lines, mopping up any hot spots and checking to see if yesterday's burning accomplished all objectives in the County Line Prescribed Burn Plan.  

If you are planning any outdoor burning, be sure to check West Virginia Division of Forestry's Fire Burning Guidelines:
https://commerce.wv.gov/october-1-is-the-start-of-fall-fire-season-west-virginia-residents-urged-to-follow-burning-guidelines/

And, if you will be camping or hunting soon, our friend Smokey Bear has a lot of wildfire prevention information at his webpage:
https://smokeybear.com/

The County Line Prescribed Burn has been postponed.  Fire staff are working a small (about 5 acres) wildfire, called the Callen Fire, that began early this morning (11/9/21) in the Smoke Hole Area of the Monongahela.

Our goal is to burn the County Line Prescribed Burn when conditions and staffing permit.  Please keep checking this InciWeb page for updates. 

Conditions look favorable for fire staff to begin burning in the County Line Prescribed Burn Area on Wednesday November 10.  Updates will be posted to InciWeb.  Please check back often!

Elkins, W.Va., October 4, 2021 – Monongahela National Forest plans to conduct prescribed burns on about 1,100 acres in Greenbrier, Pendleton, Pocahontas, and Randolph counties from October through December, weather permitting. The purposes of these burns are to re-establish fire’s natural role in the forest ecosystem, improve forest health and wildlife habitat, and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

Project areas planned for prescribed burns this fall include:

• Big Mountain – west of Cherry Grove in Pendleton County
• County Line – north of Sue and Camp Wood in Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties
• North Fork – north of Neola in Greenbrier County

Monongahela fire staff also plan to burn brush piles at various locations in Pendleton, Pocahontas and Randolph counties to enhance grazing allotments, improve wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels. Pile burning may take place at any time of the year when conditions permit.

Each burn area will be closed to the public on the day of the burn, and may be closed for several days after, to ensure public safety. Signs will be posted on roads near all prescribed burn areas before and during burning. Residents and Forest visitors may see and smell smoke for several days. If you encounter smoke on the highway, slow down, turn on your vehicle’s lights and drive appropriately for the conditions.

Prescribed fires are conducted under specific weather conditions and are designed to accomplish pre-determined forest management goals. Monongahela National Forest follows strict guidelines for conducting prescribed burns, and takes into consideration environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and wind. If any environmental conditions are not within limits, the burns will be postponed.

Local radio stations will be alerted to burn activities ahead of time. When burning begins, information, photos, and maps will be available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/.