U.S. Forest Service releases final update on Matts Creek wildfire

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – UPDATE - November 28, 2023 @ 5 p.m.

A final update has been released on the Matts Creek wildfire, which is now fully contained.

Full containment of the fire was announced on Monday, as we reported below. Now, heavy equipment operators are completing repairs on the Glenwood Horse Trail near Belfast Creek and crews are still working on repairs within the burned area, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Crews in the area Tuesday included two hand crews, three resource advisors, and one dozer.

Crews are working to replace closure signs with warning signs, and as expected, all roads and trails within the area are now open to the public, officials said.

We’re told a team of U.S. Forest Service specialists is on-site to assess the conditions of the burned area.

“A preliminary burned area vegetation map compiled from satellite imagery suggests that most of the fire burned with low severity and that some moderate burning occurred on steep south-to-southwest-facing slopes,” the update read, in part. “Field validation and additional data collection will improve mapping accuracy this week.”

Additionally, despite cold weather conditions in the area, hikers are still being warned to be cautious when entering recently burned areas, especially under windy or wet conditions.

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions remain in effect due to the persistent drought, officials said. These restrictions include the following, according to the U.S. Forest Service:

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire outside of developed recreation sites,
• Possessing, discharging, or using any kind of fireworks or other pyrotechnic device.

Officials said campfires in a Forest Service-provided metal fire pit, ring, or grill at an established recreation site are allowed.

The cause of the fire is still undetermined. As we reported previously, early signs pointed to the cause being unnatural.

“When I say it wasn’t a natural ignition, it wasn’t lightning-caused, we are pretty sure of that. So it was human-caused, but determining how that happened it’s very hard,” said Fire Behavior Analyst, Greg Titus in an earlier interview with 10 News.

If you need more information on the fire or post-fire activities in the area, you’re asked to contact the Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District during business hours at (540) 291-2188.

UPDATE - November 27, 2023 @ 4:45 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire is now fully contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

“As the sun sets on the Matts Creek Fire and crews head in from the fire line, the Type 3 Incident Management Team is happy to report the fire is 100% contained,” the organization wrote in a social media post.

We’re told Petite’s Gap Road has reopened, and crews expect the fire area to be open to the public around 8 a.m. on Nov. 28.

U.S. Forest Service officials said command of the fire will be handed off at 6 p.m. to a smaller Type 4 Incident Management Team. Those crews will continue to work on fire repair operations on the inside of the burned area.

Officials encourage hikers to take care to watch for fire-weakened trees and unstable, burned ground, especially in wet and windy areas.

UPDATE - November 26, 2023 @ 10:45 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire that crews have battled relentlessly for the last two weeks has now reached 95% containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The fire originated on Sunday, Nov. 12 and has burned 11,020 acres of land as of Nov. 27.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined, authorities said.

UPDATE - November 25, 2023 @ 6:30 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire is now 93% contained.

UPDATE - November 25, 2023 @ 11:30 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire is now 91% contained, and remains 11,020 acres in size.

UPDATE - November 24, 2023 @ 9 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire is now 88% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Officials said the fire remains 11,020 acres in size.

UPDATE - November 22, 2023 @ 8:45 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire has not spread since Tuesday and is now 84% contained.

Crews are still investigating the cause of the wildfire. Early signs point to it not being natural.

“When I say it wasn’t a natural ignition, it wasn’t lightning-caused, we are pretty sure of that. So it was human-caused, but determining how that happened it’s very hard,” said Fire Behavior Analyst, Greg Titus in an earlier interview with 10 News.

UPDATE - November 21, 2023 @ 5 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire has stalled at 11,020 acres and is now 57% contained.

As we reported in a Tuesday morning update, the Matts Creek Fire is under investigation, and the Hercules Fire near Snowden was caused by human activity.

UPDATE - November 21, 2023 @ 8 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire has reached 11,016 acres and is still 33% contained.

The Matts Creek Fire is under investigation, and the Hercules Fire near Snowden was caused by human activity.

UPDATE - November 20, 2023 @ 10 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire has grown to 10,813 acres in size and remains 33% contained.

UPDATE - November 20, 2023 @ 10 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire has grown to 10,106 acres in size and remains 27% contained.

UPDATE - November 19, 2023 @ 6:30 p.m.

The wildfire is now 27% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

UPDATE - November, 19, 2023 @ 11 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire has grown to 7,614 acres in size, and remains 15% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Officials said firefighters will use a helicopter to ignite ridgetops in the northwestern part of the fire this afternoon. There are now 286 personnel on the scene.

According to the Forest Service, a temporary flight restriction is in place around the fire area.

Road closures:

• Petites Gap Road (FSR35) is closed to all public use between the Belfast Trailhead and the Blue Ridge Parkway. This closure may be extended to the intersection of Arnold Valley Road (SR 781) and Black Run Road due to fire activity.
• The Blue Ridge Parkway is closed from milepost 66.3, near US Highway 501, to milepost 85.9, at VA Route 43 until further notice. Park visitors should plan for a detour from the north or south using adjacent routes and Interstate 81.

UPDATE - November 18, 2023 @ 7 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire has grown to 6,835 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Officials said the fire is now 15% contained.

UPDATE - November 18, 2023 @ 11:30 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire remains 5,978 acres in size, with 2% containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

As of Saturday morning, there are a total of 184 firefighters and support staff working to put out the fire.

The Forest Service said residents and motorists in the areas south and east of the fire should expect smoke due to a wind shift.

UPDATE - November 17, 2023 @ 7:45 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire has grown to 5,978 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The fire is still 2% contained, according to officials.

UPDATE - November 17, 2023 @ 9 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County now spans 5,148 acres, according to an update from the U.S. Forest Service.

Officials said the fire is still 2% contained.

Stay with 10 News for the latest updates

UPDATE - November 16, 2023 @ 7 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County has grown to 3,600 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Authorities said the fire is now 2% contained.

To put the size of the fire into perspective – 3,600 acres is about the size of 2,727 football fields.

There around around 200 firefighters and support staff responding to the fire, including eight fire crews, eight type-6 engines, and three Type 1 helicopters. Other areas are prepping their first responders to provide additional assistance if needed.

According to the Forest Service, a closure on the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 66.3 to 85.9 is in effect until further notice, and park visitors should plan for a detour.

Trail closures are still in place as follows:

• Appalachian Trail (FT #1) from James River Foot Bridge to Petites Gap Road (FR #35)
• James River Foot Bridge Parking Lot
• Matts Creek Trail (FT #4/Old A.T.)
• Piney Ridge Trail (FT #2)
• Balcony Falls Trail (FT #7)
• Gunther Ridge Trail (FT #8)
• Belfast Trail (FT #9)
• Sulphur Springs Trail (FT# 3001)
• Glenwood Horse Trail (FT#3004) from the Blue Ridge Parkway crossing to the Hellgate Trailhead

A Weather Authority Alert Day will remain in effect through Saturday due to air quality concerns. Several school districts were closed Thursday and will be closed Friday as a result of those concerns.

UPDATE - November 16, 2023 @ 11 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County has grown to 2,750 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Authorities said the fire is now 2% contained.

According to the Forest Service, a closure on the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 66.3 to 85.9 is in effect until further notice, and park visitors should plan for a detour from the north or south.

UPDATE - November 16, 2023 @ 9:15 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County has grown to 2,700 acres and is still 0% contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Authorities told 10 News that they’re concerned about smoke spreading north toward the highway.

Stay with 10 News as this breaking news story develops

UPDATE - November 14, 2023 @ 6 p.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County has grown to 2,500 acres.

According to the U.S. Forestry Department, the fire is still 0% contained.

We’re told there are 120 firefighters on the scene, with six fire crews and three helicopters in use.

UPDATE - November 15, 2023 @ 11:30 a.m.

The Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County has spread to about 1,400 acres of land, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As of Wednesday morning, the fire is still 0% contained.

UPDATE - November 14, 2023 @ 7 P.M.

The wildfire near Big Island is continuing to spread, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Matts Creek fire was initially reported on Sunday, Nov. 13, and is located south of US-501 and the James River within the James River Face Wilderness in the Jefferson National Forest.

As of Tuesday evening, the fire had spread to span across nearly 1,200 acres of land – still 0% contained.

There are around 80 firefighters and support staff, including one Type 6 engine, three Type 1 helicopters, and two fixed-wing air tankers using water only, responding to the area.

The following trails are still temporarily closed as crews work to bring the fire under control:

• The James River Face Wilderness and all associated trails, including a section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail
• Appalachian Trail
• James River Foot Bridge Parking Lot
• Matts Creek Trail
• Piney Ridge Trail
• Balcony Falls Trail
• Gunther Ridge Trail
• Belfast Trail
• Sulphur Springs Trail

Authorities said there are no structures threatened at this time, and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

As a reminder, the USDA has fire restrictions in place. Those stage one restrictions apply to lands administered by George Washington & Jefferson National Forest and include:

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire outside of developed recreation sites.
• Possessing, discharging, or using any kind of fireworks or other pyrotechnic device.
• Campfires in a Forest Service-provided metal fire pit, ring, or grill at a developed recreation site are allowed.

Earlier on Tuesday, officials told 10 News Big Island, Boonsboro, and Forest are among the most affected areas as they are seeing the heaviest smoke.

Bedford County Public Schools later closed Big Island Elementary School on Wednesday, Nov. 15, due to air quality concerns.

UPDATE - November 14, 2023 @ 12 P.M.

If you’re seeing heavy smoke in Bedford County, don’t panic - it’s more than likely from a wildfire near Big Island that has grown substantially since it was initially reported on Sunday, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

On Monday, the Matts Creek fire, which is located south of US-501 and the James River, was estimated to be about 15 acres large; however, on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the fire had grown to 150 acres, still 0% contained.

“The State of Virginia has had an extended drought and so we have extreme fire danger,” said U.S. Forest Service Spokesperson, Stephanie Chapman.

There are about 57 firefighters and support staff responding to the fire, authorities said.

On Tuesday, there were also three helicopters with water buckets scooping water from the James River and pouring it over the fire.

“Because it’s in the wilderness we need to be very careful about the type of tools that we use and protecting the wilderness resources as well,” said Chapman.

Crews are trying to use natural boundaries to create control lines to contain the fire without disrupting too much of the habitat.

We’re told Big Island, Boonsboro, and Forest are among the most affected areas as they are seeing the heaviest smoke.

With that being said, residents are urged to refrain from calling 911 unless they see flames or have a strong reason to suspect that there is a brush fire nearby. This will help keep phone lines open so that authorities can respond to emergency calls in a timely manner.

Please note the following trails that are now temporarily closed as crews work to bring the fire under control:

• The James River Face Wilderness and all associated trails, including a section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail
• Appalachian Trail
• James River Foot Bridge Parking Lot
• Matts Creek Trail
• Piney Ridge Trail
• Balcony Falls Trail
• Gunther Ridge Trail
• Belfast Trail
• Sulphur Springs Trail

There are also fire restrictions in place for anyone visiting the Jefferson or George Washington National Forests.

No open flames are allowed outside of developed recreation sites.

Campfires are only allowed inside of a Forest Service metal fire pit, ring or grill at recreation sites.

Officials said this kind of fire restriction is very rare.

Until further notice, a burning ban will be in place in Bedford County, meaning that burning leaves, yard waste or any other flammable material is illegal for the time being. In addition to that, it is also illegal to light or maintain a fire, such as a campfire or fire pit, authorities said.

Furthermore, Campbell County officials also told 10 News that smoke is starting to drift into their area and that residents might smell smoke in that locality. They stressed that it currently isn’t a threat to community members and said they will continue to provide updates. A burn ban is still in effect for Campbell County as well.

ORIGINAL STORY

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided an update on the fire in the Matts Creek area of Bedford County.

We’re told the fire is five miles southeast of Glasgow and five miles northwest of Big Island, south of US-501 and the James River on National Forest lands.

As of Monday afternoon, the fire was estimated to cover about 15 acres and was 0% contained.

Crews said the fire was reported on Sunday and the cause is undetermined.

Around 40 firefighters and support staff responded to the fire Monday afternoon, along with a type-6 engine and a Chinook helicopter.

According to the update, the Appalachian Trail from James River Foot Bridge to Petite’s Gap Road, the James River Foot Bridge parking lot, and the Matts Creek Trail at FT#4 are closed due to safety precautions.

Drivers in the area are asked to be alert for emergency vehicles and smoke.

You can find updates on the fire here.