A Fire on Massanutten Mountain

Just added:  For ongoing Hawksbill Cabin posts about this fire, click the "GWNF Fires" label below.




As I set out for Elkton and the SNP yesterday, as I turned onto US 340 South I noticed a fire on the mountains in the George Washington National Forest. I was concerned that it appeared to be near Catherine Furnace, one of the historic pig iron processing locations that dot Massanutten Mountain, so I detoured into Newport to see if I get could some better bearings.

From the two photos I’ve taken, it did appear to be fairly close to the furnace – maybe a couple of miles away or less. It looks to be back in the forest, on the second ridge to the west, and the furnace would be in the valley below.

This is the time for fires, and we’ve had a dry late summer and early fall. So to see a forest fire kindle up isn’t such a big surprise. I have a link to a WHSV report from Monday morning below, and will check in on this for the rest of the week.

http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/Forest_Fire_100_Acres_and_Continuing_to_Grow_105650648.html

At the time of this reporting, it’s still a small fire at 100 acres. But given the location, at the top of the ridge, it is both hard to fight due to terrain and it is prominent – easily seen up and down the valley. A couple of fellow hikers in SNP also saw it and were photographing it from the south district of the Park.

The second photo was taken at the entry to Shenandoah Speedway along US 340.