Valley Pulse

Virginia Department of Forestry fire officials reported a 130 percent increase in acres burned across the state, even as the number of fires decreased 12.4 percent.

Forestry officials logged 1,322 fires, which burned 25,704 acres in 2008, compared with 1,509 fires and 11,200 acres burned in 2007. Last year’s fires damaged 16 homes.

“Several of these numbers set a record for Virginia,“ said John Miller, Virginia Department of Forestry’s director of resource protection, in a statement. “We hope there won’t be another one-day record-setter this year.“

While official fire season doesn’t start until Feb. 15, Miller says wildland fires can still occur. Forestry officials say say debris burning and the improper disposal of hot ashes increase wildfire risk in the winter, with low humidities combining with plentiful dry grass and leaves, which provide fuel to help escaped fires spread quicker.

Last Feb. 10 was the worst fire day in memory, forestry officials said in the release, with high winds across the state helping to ignite 354 fires; those fires burned more than 16,000 acres.

The News Virginian reported specifically on a 4,505 acre fire in the St. Mary’s Wilderness: March 31, March 30, March 29, March 28 and March 27,