VIDEO: Multiple brush fires burned in parks and near a highway Wednesday, as dry conditions and wind pushed smoke across the region.
A red flag warning was in effect in Virginia for weather conditions that officials warned could lead to the rapid spread of fire. Temperatures were in the 60s on the fourth day of peak bloom as strong wind gusts stirred up petals and dust.
“Forest/brush fires, WEST of #DC currently spreading smoke across the metro as winds gust. Air quality is down and you’ll smell the smoke,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Ryan Miller wrote on X.
The largest brush fire was west of D.C., in Page County, Virginia. The county declared an emergency and closed all schools Thursday. Luray High School was used as an evacuation shelter.