Single Publication

Contact Information

• Email: 2023_QuakerRun@firenet.gov
• Phone: (540) 613-1809 (8 a.m.– 8 p.m.)
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shenandoahNPS
• InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/vavas-2023-quaker-run-fire

Statistics

• Acres: 3,937 
• Containment: 83%
• Location: 970 Quaker Run Road, Syria, VA 22727
• Date of Origin: October 24, 2023 
• Cause: Undetermined
• Structures Damaged/Destroyed: 0
• Crews: 1
• Helicopters: 0*
• Engines: 1
• Dozers: 0
• Personnel: 134
• *If needed, a helicopter can be ordered from Virginia dispatch

Fire Activity

Yesterday, firefighters under the command of the Gold Team repaired trails within the park, including trails to Camp Hoover; removed pumps and hoses at Camp Hoover, also known as the Historic Rapidan Camp—National Park Service; and assisted National Park Service trail crews. They also monitored and patrolled the perimeter of the entire fire seeking new hotspots. 

Today, many firefighters will leave the Quaker Run Fire and travel to other fires that need additional resources. The remaining crews and engines will monitor and patrol the uncontained section of the fire’s perimeter. They will also repair trails, roads and other areas as needed.

At 8 p.m. tonight, the Southern Area Gold Incident Management Team will transfer command to a Type 3 team. After that time, the phone number for fire information will be 540-999-3500 ext. 3183 and the email will be claire_comer@NPS.gov.

Incident Commander Debbie Beard thanks all the firefighters and team members who successfully worked on the fire. Please see her letter to the community on the last page of this update.

For information about fire management activities on private lands, follow www.facebook.com/ForestryVA. For information about fire management activities on NPS lands, follow www.facebook.com/shenanadoahNPS. 

Weather 

Critically low humidity is forecast today, even in the morning when very poor moisture recovery is forecast. This will be paired with sunny skies throughout the day. Winds will be south-southeast around 5-10 mph in the fire area. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-60s. Cloud cover will increase overnight. Humidities will rise rapidly to 80%. Temperatures will drop into the 40s. 

Fire Behavior

Relative humidity levels are expected to be low today! Fine fuels will be very receptive to fire spread, especially in the mid-afternoon on a south or west facing slope. The risk of reburn inside the footprint today is high—multiple areas of reburn could occur simultaneously in the afternoon. Reburn intensity would be low, but potentially persistent. Isolated smokes could be visible across the fire footprint today. North and east facing slopes are still damp and may not carry fire, but south-facing slopes could readily support fire spread. In an uphill run, the intensity could be high.  

Fire Bans

• Madison County has issued a county-wide burn ban. Outdoor burning is prohibited on all private and public land. Violations are punishable as a Class 3 misdemeanor as well as potential responsibility for the full amount of all expenses incurred in suppressing such fire. For more information, visit https://www.madisonco.virginia.gov/AlertCenter.aspx.
• Shenandoah National Park has implemented a complete fire ban. Building, attending, maintaining or using an open fire anywhere within the boundaries of the park is prohibited. This ban includes all wood, charcoal, coal or other solid-fuel open air fires and fires in grates, grills, rings or pits in campgrounds, picnic areas, shelters and huts. For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/quaker-run-fire-information.htm.

Evacuations

Voluntary evacuations remain in place for Finks Hollow Road, north of Route 681.

Smoke

Air quality is currently good. Yesterday, smoke from other wildfires came into the area. Additional information is available at https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/dc5a2d56?

Closures

Shenandoah National Park

The Harry S. Byrd, Sr. Visitor’s Center remains open. The center was scheduled to close due to a power outage for firefighter safety. The power was restored prior to the scheduled closing. For hours and additional information, please visit https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm.

The following closures remain in effect in Shenandoah National Park:

• Rapidan Camp (also known as Historic Camp Hoover) area near the eastern boundary in the center of the park. The closure includes the area around the historic camp and the trails leading to it including the following:
  • Mill Prong Trail
  • Mill Prong Horse Trail
  • Stony Mountain Trail
  • Fork Mountain Trail
  • Laurel Prong from Cat Knob intersection
  • Upper Dark Hollow Trail (does NOT impact access to falls)
  • The lower Rapidan Fire Road beyond the portion open to bicycles
• Graves Mill Trail from the intersection of the Staunton River Trail to the Rapidan Fire Road
• Wilhite Wagon Trail

Rapidan Wildlife Management Area – Rapidan Tract

Due to wildfire activity in the area, the Rapidan Tract of Rapidan Wildlife Management Area is temporarily closed in the interest of public safety. In addition, per Code of Virginia § 29.1-521, it is illegal “to kill or capture any wild bird or wild animal adjacent to any area while a field or forest fire is in progress.”

Temporary Flight Restrictions

The temporary flight restriction over the Quaker Run Fire has been lifted.

Donations

If you are considering donating to the Quaker Run Fire firefighting efforts, please take them to the Madison County Department of Emergency Medical Services at 1494 N. Main Street, Madison, VA 22727. Thank you.

Southern Area Gold Complex Incident Management Team

November 16, 2023

To the communities surrounding the Quaker Run Fire:

On behalf of all the firefighters and Gold Team members who worked on the Quaker Run Fire, we thank you for the support you have given us during the last two weeks.

We know this has been an incredibly stressful time for everyone in the community, yet you have dedicated your time and energy to help everyone work on this fire. Church members provided meals to firefighters, people greeted us with smiles and Southern hospitality wherever we went, and throughout it all we have felt welcome, supported and appreciated.

As a team, we travel around the country—sometimes around the world—to manage and fight wildfires. From the minute we arrive, our goal is to protect lives, homes and communities. In fact, we often say, “It’s our job to work ourselves out of a job.”  You have made our job so much easier and have treated us with respect and humility. That’s why so many of us are proud to call the South our home.

At the end of this assignment, our team members will go their separate ways. As we say our goodbyes, many of us will say, “See you on the next one”, but there are those few special experiences that we hold close in our hearts for years to come. This incident, and the kindness you have shown us, will certainly be one we remember with fondness. 

Again, thank you for everything.

Sincerely,

Debbie Beard                                                             Paul Varnedoe

Incident Commander                                                 Incident Commander, Trainee