Belcher Mtn. house
and 2 acres burned
Approximately 15 fire trucks and 30 fire personnel responded to a 911 dispatch Sunday for a fire at 3359 Belcher Mountain Road. The home of Jack Palmer, valued at approximately $60,000, was completely destroyed along with burning two acres of wooded land.
Patrick County 911 dispatchers received a call at 11:41 a.m. from Jack Betts, who reported a brush fire close to the 3359 Belcher Mountain Road house, said Patrick County Emergency Services Coordinator Steve Allen. Firefighters, plus two ambulances and a Virginia Dept. of Fire plow responded to the call.
Firefighters and other responders were on the scene until approximately 5 p.m. The following departments responded: Meadows of Dan Volunteer Fire Department, Woolwine VFD, Fairystone VFD, Laurel Fork VFD, the Va. Dept. of Forestry, Vesta Rescue Squad, Smith River Rescue Squad, Patrick County Sheriff’s Office Car 6, and Patrick County Emergency Management.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office.
“We had a great turnout from the volunteers and were able to stop the fire from burning more wooded area,” Allen said. “Patrick County is very blessed to have volunteers that are ready to help out in a time of need.”
Allen reminds all citizens to please not do any outdoor burning right now due to the extremely dry conditions. A citizen recently reported setting her leaves on fire with a mower Saturday, he said, illustrating how dry conditions are right now. The woman’s husband was able to stop the fire with a water hose.
The Virginia Dept. of Forestry warns that fall is a particularly risky time for wildfires given the combination of dry leaves, brown grass, low humidity and increasing wind. This year, Southwest Virginia has remained dry despite significant rain in other parts of the state.
On average, nearly 1,000 wildfires occur each year in Virginia, burning a total of more than 11,000 acres, department officials report. More than 95 percent of these fires occur due to human activity.
Forestry officials recommend that if burning is necessary, follow these precautions: clear the burn spot down to soil, keep the burn pile small, have a rake or shovel on hand, have a water hose or other water source nearby, have a working cell phone on hand, and do not leave the fire unattended.
