With droughtlike conditions drying out the state's fields and forests, Virginia has seen almost a fivefold increase in the number of acres burned by wildfires this summer, the Department of Forestry said Wednesday.
The number of wildfires has tripled. Lightning strikes have caused some of the fires, but many have been started by people burning trash at their homes.
From June 1 to Aug. 14, 159 fires have burned 907 acres, the department reported. Last year during the same time, 55 fires burned 192 acres.
The drought has severely dried out woods and fields, said John Miller, the forestry department's director of resource protection.
The department uses a drought index to measure how dry different areas of the state are. The index tops out at 800, which signifies desertlike conditions.
Many parts of the state are over 500, and some regions are at 650, Miller said.
The region that includes Suffolk and Isle of Wight and Surry counties currently rates a 563 on the index, which means that wildfires there will readily burn in all directions, down to the level of mineral soils, and could possibly smolder for days, increasing the threat of fire spreading. The region that includes the Middle Peninsula rates a slightly lower risk.
Isle of Wight and Surry counties currently have in place bans on outdoor burning.
The forestry department recommends either chipping or composting wood debris, but if it must be burned the department cautions to wait until just after a heavy rain. They also recommend having a water source and shovel at hand. *