ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 4, 1997 TAG: 9704040075
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETTY HAYDEN SNIDER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Doing away with the state law that required railroads to clear rights of way may have contributed to fires.
A Norfolk Southern train with mechanical problems set off a series of fires in Bedford and Roanoke counties Thursday that burned more than 100 acres of forest land, some of it in Roanoke's Explore Park, forestry officials said.
Frank Burchinal, regional forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry, said Thursday's unusually low humidity - down to 11 percent at one point - dried the fuel and the air.
"Just about anything from a cigarette on up will start a fire on a day like today," Burchinal said. "The only saving grace [was] that we didn't have any wind today."
Gusty winds were a major factor in a forest fire caused by an abandoned campfire near Dragon's Tooth on Monday that burned more than 80 acres.
Thursday's fires - eight in Bedford County and four on the Bedford-Roanoke county line - were the second set started by a train. Another Norfolk Southern train with mechanical problem, possibly faulty brakes, ignited six fires that burned 15 acres and two sheds Saturday in Bedford.
At least one barn was burned Thursday night on private property near Explore Park, Burchinal said. He did not know of any other property damage.
There were no serious injuries among the dozens of state and local firefighters who worked from 2 p.m. and on into the night burning fire lines and putting out hot spots. Firefighters got a helping hand as temperatures cooled and the humidity increased.
A Bedford County dispatcher said at least two units from each of the county's 11 fire departments were dispatched to the fires, and firefighters from Roanoke County, Franklin County, Roanoke and the state assisted them. Norfolk Southern sent two bulldozers out to help.
The Vinton Subway restaurant donated 50 sandwiches to the firefighters, who were happy to accept them, the dispatcher said.
Though most of the firefighters were volunteers, the cost of fighting the forest fires will still be between $5,000 and $10,000, Burchinal said.
Fires along railroad tracks used to happen only occasionally, but a change in state law may have contributed to the two recent series of fires.
"Until this year, [the railroad] had been clearing the right of ways, and the General Assembly did away with that law," Burchinal said. "That is probably some of the problem.
"I do understand that some of the fires last weekend were on areas that would have been burned or cleared."
LENGTH: Medium: 53 linesby CNB