Fire in Saint Mary’s Wilderness increases to 1,900 acres

NATURAL BRIDGE STATION – The Big Level Fire in the Saint Mary’s Wilderness increased from 375 acres to 1,900 acres over the weekend, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

As of Monday morning, the fire was only 10% contained.

The fire is located south of Coal Road (Forest Service Road #42) in Augusta County. The fire is on National Forest System lands in steep, rocky terrain, the agency said.

“Engines will be actively patrolling, and aviation support will be on call as weather allows. Today, rain is expected to moderate fire behavior,” the U.S. Forest Service said Monday.

Nearly 70 firefighting personnel are on the scene. The fire was announced Friday.

On Sunday, the U.S. Forest Service said firefighters from its agency, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the Stuarts Draft Volunteer Fire Company worked the fire. A helicopter also dropped 49,900 gallons of water throughout the day. “High winds drove fire growth with much of the activity on the western side,” the U.S. Forestry service said.

No evacuation orders have been issued but numerous trails remain closed in the area.

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Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at [email protected]. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Saint Mary’s Wilderness fire engulfs nearly 2,000 acres