Wildfire — Bath, Virginia

2012-04-09 to 2012-04-18 · Bath, Virginia

Event narrative

This fire was known as the Rich Hole Fire affecting Bath, Alleghany, and Rockbridge counties in west central Virginia. This was the largest single wildfire in Virginia's history. The fire affected the George Washington National Forest and the Rich Hole Wilderness area. The cause of the fire was believed to have been human. The fire burned for nine days and burned 15,454 acres, of which 14,960 was federal land and 494 was private land. No structures were burned. Suppression costs were $1.622 million and rehabilitation costs were $60,355.

Wider weather episode

Below normal rainfall in the late winter and early spring months combined with an extended period of unseasonably warm, dry conditions across the region in early April set the stage for some of the most significant wildfires in Virginia's history. Back-to-back windy, dry, cold frontal passages following a 14-day period of only five percent of normal rainfall and temperatures 15 to 20 degrees above normal leading up to the Easter weekend, set the stage for a complex of five major wildfires across west central and northern Virginia, three of which occurred within the Blacksburg, VA County Warning Area (CWA). Consequently, the complex of fires were appropriately named the Easter Complex fires. The fires grew significantly on the 10th when sustained winds of 25 mph with gusts of 40 to 48 mph were observed across the region. This fire, known as the Rich Hole Fire, affected Bath, Alleghany, and Rockbridge counties. It was the largest wildfire in Virginia's history and threatened the city of Covington at times near Interstate-64. The fire burned over 15,000 acres of land, mostly owned by the United States Forest Service and was believed to have been human-caused. Costs to contain the fire were nearly $2 million and rehabilitation treatment costs were over $60,000. There were no structures lost and no injuries or deaths from this wildfire.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 378709. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.