A wildfire burning in a section of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia on Thursday prompted the closure of nearly ten miles of Skyline Drive as well as sections of the Appalachian Trail. The fire was reported Wednesday just a few hours after the National Park Service issued a park-wide fire ban due to high winds and dry conditions.
The Rocky Branch blaze, burning across an estimated 450 acres Thursday morning in “timber litter,” led to closure of Skyline Drive from Thornton Gap (mile 31.5) to Mathews Arm (mile 22.1). Trail closures included the Appalachian Trail from Elkwallow to Beahms Gap, Rocky Branch, Neighbor Mountain, Jeremys Run, and Byrds Nest 4.
Firefighters were working to beat down the flames and establish a fire line in an attempt to contain it. The cause of the fire was unknown. No structures were immediately threatened by the fire.
