More Than 100 Wildfires Burn In Virginia And West Virginia In 48 Hours

🥺 Weather.com 3/21/24: More than 100 wildfires ignited over two days in Virginia and West Virginia, burning homes, forcing evacuations and shutting down a portion of Shenandoah National Park.Show more

Winds gusting in excess of 50 mph fueled the flames. That included a gust of 61 mph reported Wednesday in Front Royal, Virginia, at the northern edge of the national park.

Nine miles of the park’s Skyline Drive was shut down due to smoke. Nearby portions of the Appalachian Trail were also closed.

"Within the last 48 hours, firefighters have responded to more than 100 wildfires that have burned more than 7,500 acres (about 12 square miles)," the Virginia Department of Forestry said in an update around 1 p.m. Thursday.

Counties affected included Albemarle, Louisa, Page, Rockingham, Tazewell and Dickenson, the update said.
In West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency Thursday for four northeastern counties - Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, and Pendleton.

"If you're told to evacuate, do so immediately," Justice said in a social media post.

Several houses are reported to have burned in Hardy County, West Virginia, which includes the towns of Moorefield and Wardensville.