West Virginia and Virginia Wildfires

[Anonymous]

These wildfires have displaced many residents and homes have burnt down. I have lived in this area for 45 years and can't recall a fire event this widespread. Does anyone know, or have a theory, as to how and why they started?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/03/23/wildfires-west-virginia-map-national-guard/73058909007/

[Anonymous]

Dry conditions and high winds. I thought the South East would be relatively immune since we technically are in a temperate rain forest area, but rain forests do burn too.

[Anonymous]

March is fire season here in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region. It’s a factor of winter-dead-and-dry vegetation, high winds, and a stronger sun angle (further drying dead vegetation out)

By late a April fire season is over.

But this is completely normal for this time of year. March ALWAYS has brushfires unless it’s raining multiple days a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:March is fire season here in the northeast and mid-Atlantic region. It’s a factor of winter-dead-and-dry vegetation, high winds, and a stronger sun angle (further drying dead vegetation out)

By late a April fire season is over.

But this is completely normal for this time of year. March ALWAYS has brushfires unless it’s raining multiple days a week.

Exactly. Rural areas of Virginia and West Virginia have a rule about no open fires between February and May because of the risk of fire. This year there were just the right conditions (mainly high wind) to make it a particularly bad year.