Madison County fire still burning; firefighting crews working to contain it

Firefighters from the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) and partner departments are continuing containment efforts on the now 390-acre Quaker Run Fire that began Tuesday in Madison County near Syria, according to a DOF news release.

The fire is currently 20 percent contained. No homes or structures have been damaged by the fire and there are no evacuation orders in place at this time. Smoke produced by the fire is visible from several counties and may negatively affect the air quality in nearby areas.

According to the release, “Progress has been difficult due to the steep terrain, but crews strive to complete a 650-acre “containment line” surrounding the fire. Once the fire reaches the confines of the containment line, its access to fuel will be cut off, limiting further progression.” The fire, and the developing containment line, are still on private land.

“This fire will quickly run out of fuel when it reaches the firelines crews are creating that will prevent its progress past the 650-acre containment area,” said DOF Chief of Fire and Emergency Response John Miller. “As long as weather conditions don’t shift, we anticipate this fire will be fully contained within the next few days.”

DOF will continue to provide regular updates on the fiRESPONSE website (https://virginiapublic.firesponse.com) and on social media.