Wildfire Near Nandua Creek Burns 360 Acres

Photo courtesy of the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Firefighters made significant progress Friday on a roughly 360-acre wildfire on the bayside of Accomack County, with the Virginia Department of Forestry reporting the fire is now about 80% contained.

The fire began in an inaccessible marsh area before winds pushed it ashore into wooded land. About 70 acres of the fire are in a wooded area, with the remainder in marshland.

DOF said there is still no definitive information on what caused the fire. Greg Bilyeu, Director of Communications of theVirginia Department of Forestry, said that recent dry conditions have increased the risk of wildfires and made vegetation easier to ignite.

Homes and other structures in the area have been closely monitored and protected throughout the response. No homes or structures are currently in danger, and none have been damaged.

Crews have spent the past 24 hours plowing and burning out fire lines in an effort to contain the blaze. DOF said firefighters now expect to have the fire fully contained no later than Sunday.

A Single Engine Air Tanker, known as a SEAT, was also used Friday and proved especially effective because much of the fire is in terrain difficult to reach with ground equipment.

The small, fixed-wing firefighting aircraft can deliver hundreds of gallons of water, gel or fire retardant directly onto a wildfire. In this case, the aircraft dropped water on previously inaccessible areas and also provided aerial reconnaissance that improved crews’ understanding of the terrain and the fire perimeter.

Bilyeu said it does not currently plan to use the SEAT aircraft again Saturday.

State forestry officials also credited local fire departments and other firefighters assisting with the response, noting that crews have been working in difficult conditions during hot weather.

“Great progress was made Friday,” DOF said, while thanking local departments for their assistance and coordination.

The Virginia Department of Forestry remains on scene as containment work continues.