(WJHL) — Two fires totaling nearly 400 acres in Lee and Dickenson counties are 100% contained Wednesday morning, according to Russell Proctor with the Virginia Department of Forestry.
The fire official for the western region told News Channel 11 that flames burned 270 acres in the Blackwater area of Lee County, but Proctor said that is not uncommon for the area. The previous week, crews extinguished a fire spanning 360 acres, and the week before that a wildfire stretching out over 700 acres erupted in the area.
Proctor attributed the large-scale fires to an invasive species of grass in the Blackwater area called Japanese silver grass — also known as Chinese silver grass and miscanthus — which is a dry, fast-spreading plant that allows embers to catch flame quickly.
The invasive species has extended to 20-25,000 acres, according to Proctor.
Up in Dickenson County, crews worked to douse a 115-acre wildfire that sparked Tuesday afternoon and was fully contained that night, Proctor said.
The forestry official has spent 30 years fighting fires — 20 of those years with the state. He told News Channel 11 that the current season has been relentless as wildfires continue to take off across the region.
“We’ve had a lot of wind this spring, and it dries things out a lot quicker,” he said. “It’s been an odd year…We feel this season will just drag on and never go away.”
Another factor that may contribute to the increase in brushfires includes the snow the area experienced during the winter season. Proctor said that snow packs leaves down, and with the wind and low humidity, nature creates the perfect conditions for a wildfire.
Fire officials continue to investigate the cause of both fires.
News Channel 11 has covered various brushfires throughout the Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia region. In Johnson City, a wildfire on Buffalo Mountain continues to burn, but smoke visibility has decreased since it first sparked Sunday afternoon.
Storm Team 11 issued a wind advisory across the region on Wednesday, which may further impact wildfires across the region. Stay updated on-air and online at WJHL.com.
