Stone Coal Fire Update 4:30 PM
Incident: Stone Coal Wildland Fire
Released: 6/19/2008
The Stone Coal Fire on Caldwell Mountain in Botetourt County has grown to 100 acres and is being managed as a wildland fire for resource benefit.
This method allows fire personnel to manage the fire in a similar manner to prescribed fire where control lines are placed around a specific area and the fire is used to benefit the area by clearing dense brush and creating a more open environment for wildlife. Safety of firefighters is also increased since exposure to an environment with steep, rough terrain, limited access and old coal mines is limited since control lines are established in more accessible areas.
Resources ordered to work on the fire include bulldozers that are opening roads on top of the mountain, the Augusta Hotshot Crew and a helicopter.
