BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — As the West Virginia Forestry Division and volunteer firefighters from across Mingo County fight to extinguish the flames and curtail spreading, active fires on Buffalo Mountain near the community of Chattaroy have forced a temporary closure of portions of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System.
“Safety is and will always be the top priority for my office of emergency management, our many volunteer fire departments scattered across the county, our trail system management team and our county officials,” stated Doug Goolsby, who serves as the Emergency Management Director for Mingo County.
“Riders could easily become trapped on the trails and not be able to reach safety, poor air quality can wreak havoc on anyone with respiratory issues, and we also worry about trees falling along the trails after they catch fire. We want all that ride our trails to go home safely to return another day.”
Portions of the trails that are temporarily closed include the Trail 54 Devil Anse near Williamson, the Buffalo Mountain trailhead and the Delbarton Hatfield-McCoy trails.
Goolsby, who served local areas for many years as a critical care paramedic, is well aware of the health complications poor air quality can cause and recommends that anyone living in areas where the smoke is affecting the air quality take precautions to stay safe that include keeping all windows and doors of your home shut, turning off your HVAC units, and placing damp, rolled up towels under any door or crevice that may not seal properly. Goolsby also recommends bringing outdoor pets inside if at all possible.
Josh Vance, the Forestry Fire Warden with the Logan County-based Unit 5650, has been dispatched to Mingo County to head up local operations to curtail the spreading of the fires blazing on Buffalo Mountain. He said so far, a rough estimate of 350-400 acres have burned due to the fire.
“The fire originated in the hills close to Chattaroy, but as of Tuesday afternoon, they have spread into Hell Creek near Delbarton and if we can’t get them under full control, those driving U.S. 119 in that location will be seeing the fire before long,” said Vance. “Our crews have worked around the clock, and we have volunteer firefighters from across the county that have joined us.
“Our volunteer firemen often leave their own residences that could potentially be in the line of danger to go and fight these fires and protect the homes and businesses of others,” said Goolsby. “It is often a thankless job, and they are not paid for this. They are a wonderful group of dedicated individuals who serve behind the scenes and are not in the spotlight, but they are all heroes in every right. Their only concern is putting out the flames and keeping everyone involved safe.”
According to Goolsby, forest fires have also been reported in the communities of Ben Creek and Beech Creek over the past two days and thanks to the efforts of the volunteer firefighters, are reported to be under control.
Vance asked to remind the public that if you feel your property is in danger or the health and safety of your family is compromised, to please not hesitate to call 911 for help. However, he said property owners are responsible for protecting their own homes and land. He added that some simple measures can be taken to decrease the chance of damage from a fire, with the most important being utilizing a garden hose to thoroughly wet down your home, as well as the ground that surrounds it.
“Rake up your leaves and do not let them pile up around your home,” said Vance. “Dry leaves and a nearby fire are the perfect recipe for disaster. Rake the leaves, bag them and haul them off.”
“Anything a property owner can do to help themselves is very important because we don’t have enough manpower to be everywhere we are needed and a response time can at times, be delayed. With that being said, if you don’t feel safe, get your family and leave the premises. Never take chances.”
Although Mingo County is not under a total burn ban, Goolsby requests that everyone refrain from starting any outside fires while the season is dry and there has been little to no rainfall.
“It only takes a split second for a spark to land in a pile of leaves or near other combustible materials to end up with a disaster on your hands. We also remind the public that if you are responsible for starting a fire that blazes out of your control, you may face felony arson charges.”
“We typically have our share of forest fires every year about this time but if everyone does their part to help, we can greatly decrease those chances,” said Goolsby.