The brush fire season is already off to an accelerated start across the region. The Spruce Mountain Fire burned a total of 50 acres. That brings the grand total for the number of acres burned so far in this early part of the spring brushfire season up to 1,500. Last year, a grand total of 1,725 acres burned in southern West Virginia during the spring season, so we are far ahead of schedule to surpass last year.
Seventy-three fires have been sparked so far this spring compared to a grand total of 147 fires for the entire spring season last year. This includes all brush fires reported to the West Virginia Department of Forestry from Fayette, Raleigh, Summers, Wyoming, McDowell, Greenbrier, Monroe and Mercer Counties.