The 2021 Ohio River Valley Fires were were a series of wildfires that struck the Ohio River Valley and adjacent areas during September of 2021. It is estimated that at the event's peak, as many as 100 wildfires were active. The states of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and Maryland all fell victim to the fires. The fires burnt well over 400,000 acres in total, with nearly 200,000 of those being burnt by the West Virginia-Kentucky Complex alone. 50 people were killed by the fires in total, making the fires some of the worst ever to strike the Eastern United States. States of Emergencies were declared in 13 states and the District of Columbia due to the fires and their associated smoke. In total, the fires burnt well over 1,000,000 acres, making the fires some of the worst ever recorded east of the Mississippi River. Climate change, uncanny weather patterns, among other things have been blamed for the wildfires and their severity.
Context[]
Notable Fires[]
September Complex Fire (West Virginia)[]
Saltlick Fire (West Virginia)[]
Ralle Fire (West Virginia)[]
Federal Fire (Ohio)[]
Virgin Fire (Ohio)[]
During the afternoon hours of September 4, a state trooper happened to notice smoke rising from the forests east of Great Seal State Park as he was driving down US 23. The trooper elected to investigate the smoke, seeing as all fires started by civilians had been outlawed, due to the extremely favorable conditions for wildfire spread in place at the time. As the trooper came across the cause of the smoke, he stumbled upon a burgeoning inferno raging through the area. The trooper would quickly contact fire fighters, who would swiftly be dispatched top the area. Authorities would soon issue mandatory evacuations for many of the surrounding areas as well. Over the course of the next few hours, however, the fire would rapidly burn out of control, as winds from the northeast quickly fanned the flames. Dry flora throughout the forests of the region would provide ample fuel for the fire to persevere as well. All of the firefighter's efforts would prove to do little in containing the fire, enabling the blaze to quickly expand beyond the containment lines set up. On September 5, evacuations would be issued for portions of Chillicothe as worries would begin to rise in regards to whether or not the fire would make it far enough to threaten the historic city of 21,901. At the same time, the Virgin Fire would continue
The Virgin Fire in the hills northeast of Chillicothe.
to rampage through areas northeast of the city, soon making it to the northern boundary of the Ross Lake Wilderness Area. By September 7, the entirety of the Ross Lake Wilderness Area west of Ross Lake would be reduced to ash. That same day, mandatory evacuations would be extended to include the entirety of the city of Chillicothe, as authorities would assess the city to be in grave danger of being consumed by the inferno's smoldering flames. By September 8, dozens of homes north of the towns would be lost, as firefighters would begin to find it rather difficult to keep the fire contained. Winds would continue to fan the flames, and dry vegetation would remain abundant as the fire approach populated areas.
West Virginia-Kentucky Complex Fire[]
*5 deaths*
In the early morning hours of September 2, conditions were gradually becoming more conductive for the development and spread of wildfires in the western West Virginia Region. Red Flag warnings had been posted, and people were told to immediately cease all burning. However, dry thunderstorms around 10:00 AM resulted in worries that all of the precautions put in place to prevent the development of such fires would be in vein. There worries would be proven to be true, when satellite would indicate that a fire had been sparked near Doss Hill. This fire would come to be known as the Doss Fire, and would be the first of five fires that would later join together to form the large, and prolific West Virginia-Kentucky Complex fire. The Doss Fire would quickly expand into Beech Fork State Park, catching many campers off guard. 3 people in Beech Fork State Park alone would be killed by the fire. This rapid expansion of the fire and the little amount of warning given to those in Beech Fork State Park was mostly due to the incompetency of fire fighters and local officials, who failed to issue evacuations for areas in the fires path, and failed to dispatch the proper amount of fire
The fire as it began to cross West Virginia Highway 152.
A home that was lost to the Price Fire's flames on Price Creek Road.
fighters out to fight the blaze. All three deaths associated with the fire in Beech Fork State Park occurred along the shores of Beech Fork Lake, where several cabins would be set ablaze and lost to the fire. The Doss Fire would waste no time jumping the lake, with embers associated with it quickly reaching the other side as fire fighters scrambled to set up containment lines ahead of the inferno and local officials quickly prepared to issue evacuations for areas at immediate risk. Mandatory evacuation orders would be issued for the entirety of Beech Fork State Park, as well as areas from Beech Fork Lake to the community of Ardel
and West Virginia State Route 152. While the Doss Fire would be crossing Beech Fork Lake, another fire would start just to its north. This fire would be deemed the Price Fire. The fire would quickly spread, soon overtaking several nearby homes, without little warning. Thankfully, everyone living within these homes would survive, mainly
Fire fighters fighting the Doss-Price Fire as it quickly approached Ardel.
due to the fact that the fire started in the middle of a work day. Firefighters would quickly issue mandatory evacuation orders for areas ahead of the fire, and would swiftly begin an attempt to extinguish its destructive flames. Their efforts would do no good, however, as the extremely favorable fire conditions that were helping the Doss Fire spread so uncontrollably also aided the Prices Fire in doing the same thing. The Price fire would rapidly spread to the southwest, so fast that fire fires had to abandon all containment efforts and retreat. Homes along Price Creek Road (the fires namesake) would be burnt on several occasions, before the Price Fire would join together with the
A fire prevention helicopter attempting to fight the Doss-Price fire.
already gargantuan Doss Fire. Once the two would join together, they would be deemed the Doss-Price Fire. The two together would then proceed to burn faster and with more energy and vigor then ever before, managing to reach the city limits of Ardel within the period of a mere hours. Firefighters would only be able to fend the fire off from the town for a few minutes, but once again the fire would prove to be victorious against the efforts of the defenders. The entire community of Ardel would soon fall to the fire, followed by far southern portions of the community of Lavellete. Among the notable buildings lost in Ardel
A business in downtown Ardel on fire.
would be Wayne Elementary School and the neighboring Walmart Supercenter. Thankfully, no lives would perish in the Ardel-Lavalette area, thanks to early warning from local officials. Several firefighters would suffer varying degrees of injury during the defense of Ardel, however. While the Doss-Price fire was in the process of scorching the community of Ardel, another fire was quickly moving in its direction. This fire (known as the Madison Fire prior to its merger) had sparked during the morning hours of September 3, near its namesake - the Madison Creek, just outside of the town of West Hamlin. The fire was
The lightning bolt that started the Madison Fire.
started by lighting associated with a dry thunderstorm moving through the area. The lightning bolt that started the fire was caught on camera by a bystander videotaping the storm as it moved through. At the time, firefighters were already busy dealing with the Doss-Price fire, resulting in the fire spreading almost uncontrollably. West Hamlin residents would step up to the cause, and would be able to fend the flames away from a few homes along Madison Creek Road, however. The efforts of those aforementioned West Hamlin residents saved numerous homes from the flames, but they would not be able to save all of them. Thankfully, nobody was hurt in the homes that were lost to the blaze (once again predominantly due to the efforts of civilians). As the Madison fire continued to proceed on its south westerly track, it would begin to accelerate as conditions would begin to increase in volatility. Within a day, the fire had burnt well over a dozen homes, and was on its way to consuming the city of Wayne and combining with the Doss-Price Fire. This combination would finally occur during the early morning hours of September 4, when the Madison Fire would manage to jump a fire line that had been set up by firefighters at the
Firefighters attempting to save a house along the shore of Middle Fork Wilson Creek as the Madison Fire rapidly advanced in their direction.
convergence of the Middle Fork Wilson Creek and the Left Fork Wilson Creek. Numerous houses in this area would be lost to the fire, including a large group of mobile homes along the shore of the Left Fork Wilson Creek. One person would be killed when they failed to evacuate prior to their house on Right Fork Millers Road being lost to the flames. As the fire would continue to progress southwest, evacuations would be extended to include the entirety of the community of Wayne north to Centerville and west to the West Virginia-Kentucky stateline. Residents of the city of Wayne who had not yet evacuated would have a very short amount of time to leave, as the fire was already on the verge of
A neighborhood in Wayne reduced to ashes.
crossing what little protection firefighters had set up around the city. By 9:00 PM on September 4, the entire city of Wayne had been lost to the fire. Every building within the city limits of Wayne would be lost, including the historic Wayne County Courthouse and Wayne Middle School. Firefighters had fought for hours to keep the fire outside of the city, but their efforts ultimately failed. Thankfully, nobody was killed by the fire within the town. 18 people would suffer varying injuries, including 2 firefighters. The fire - now known as the West Virginia
Drone footage of the aftermath of the fire in Wayne.
A home along Toms Creek Road as the fire rapidly rushes towards it. The family living within the home was just preparing to leave when this photo was taken.
Complex - would continue along to ravage portions of Wayne County as it remained steadfast, moving through the hills and valleys of the area with vigor and fervor that the firefighters unlucky enough to be tasked to fight it had never seen before. Soon, the fire would manage to consume the heavily traveled and fairly populated Toms Creek Road, resulting in even more structural losses. Firefighters would scramble to set up more containment lines ahead of the fire, but even as thousands of volunteers from across the country would be rushed to help fight the blaze, the fire would still manage to burn faster then the firefighters could set up such containment lines. During the late night hours of September 5, a fairly large portion of the community of Centerville would be lost to the fire. Thankfully, however, a sudden change in wind
People watching the fire from afar as it quickly approaches Centerville.
direction would prove to be enough to save the northern portions of the community. At this point, the towering pyrocumulus cloud associated with the fire would become some of the largest ever recorded, drawing comparisons to volcanic eruptions and other behemoth fires of the past. At around the same time the flames were bearing down on the community of Centerville, a rare tornado warning would be issued for portions of Wayne County due to radar indicated rotation found within portions of the fire's aforementioned pyrocumulus cloud. NWS surveyors who would later be dispatched to the fire zone would be able to identify a clear 1 mile path of what looked to be tornado damage in
the general area that radar indicated rotation to be in. As the night would continue and the early morning hours of September 6 began, the fire would continue to scorch hundreds of acres of forest, using the hilly landscape, dry brush, and favorable conditions of the area to its advantage. Around 8:00 AM on September 6, firefighters would be able
The fire as it meets the Big Sandy River near Prichard.
to stall the fire's progress as conditions temporarily stabilized. However, as the afternoon arose, the fire would once again begin to burn out of control. By 4:00, the fire had reached the Big Sandy River (which marks the Kentucky-West Virginia border) and was knocking on the doorsteps of the community of Prichard. With this rapid expansion of the fire, authorities would quickly manage to issue new evacuation orders, which would include the community of Prichard east to state route 152, and southwest to the Kentucky community of Zelda. Thankfully,
The sun blocked out by smoke from the West Virginia Complex Fire in Louisa, Kentucky on September 6.
firefighters would be able to stop the fire outside of Prichard, using US-52 as a barrier. Their heroic acts likely saved dozens of lives - as many people within the town of Prichard had refused to evacuate, even when authorities came knocking at their days telling them that a mandatory evacuation order was in place. To the south of Prichard, firefighters in both Kentucky and West Virginia would fight endlessly in an attempt to keep the fire from crossing the Big Sandy River. They firefighters would be strained on multiple occasions, as embers from the West Virginia Complex would repeatedly manage to cross the river, starting new fires on the other side. On multiple occasions would firefighters narrowly manage to extinguish these popup fire before they exploded into full
A barn that was lost to the flames near Zelda.
fledged infernos. The town of Zelda would barely be saved from being reduced to ashes, after firefighters neglected to extinguish what had been a rather small blaze that had begun next to a garage along the river's edge. Within a minute, the entire garage as well as its adjacent residence would be up in flames. Firefighters would manage to extinguish the fire before it could expand any further. That residence was the first structure was the first of many to be lost to the flames of the Complex in Kentucky. Just mere hours before the West Virginia complex had reached the Big Sandy River, another fire had reportedly begun near the small community of Rangor, West Virginia some miles
The Fourteenmile Fire as it rages through portions of the East Lynn Lake Wildlife Management area.
away. This fire would quickly rage out of control, burning nearly 1000 acres within a matter of hours after its ignition. The communities of Wewanta and Cove Cap would be quick casualties. Residents of the two small podunks would barely manage to escape, due to the little amount of warning that had been given to them prior to the fire's arrival. Tragically, one resident of the Cove Gap area would parish in the fire (which would become to be known as the Fourteenmile Fire), after they were caught off guard by its rapid and sudden expansion. While the main West Virginia complex had finally been stalled at the Big Sandy River, the Fourteenmile Fire would completely bypass what little containment had been set up by fire, scorching a large majority of the East Lynn Lake Wildlife Management Area by the end of September 7.
The West Virginia Complex Fire shortly before combining with the Fourteenmile Fire on September 8.
Soon, firefighters who were still attempting to keep the West Virginia Complex at bay were redirected to the Fourteenmile Fire, as it soon became the fire of most interest in the region. Soon, mandatory evacuation orders would be up for the the town of Rador, as the Fourteenmile Fire quickly raced towards it. In the early morning hours of September 8, the town would fall to the flames, as firefighters watched in disbelief as the fire continued to expand, despite their tedious efforts to quell its angry flames. Later that morning, an illegal bonfire that had been created earlier in the day near the town of Genoa would ignite a wildfire, which would soon become known as the Flat Fire. The Flat fire would rapidly expand to its southwest just as the Fourteenmile Fire and the West Virginia Complex had before it, soon merging with the already prolific Fourteenmile Fire, catching firefighters off guard. As this was happening, the West Virginia Complex would suddenly light up, once again catching the already bewildered
Mass amounts of people evacuating the city of Louisa, Kentucky as the fire rapidly closes in on them.
firefighters in the are off guard. Soon, the fire would manage to bypass the already stressed containment lines that had been set up to prevent the fire's spread. With that, all three fires would soon merge, and would begin to barrel towards the city of Louisa, Kentucky; a city home to nearly 3,000 people. Authorities would quickly issue a mandatory evacuation for the entirety of Lawrence County, Kentucky in response to this, resulting in a mass exodus of 15,000 people from the area. The fire would quickly begin to encroach on the city of Louisa, soon cutting off vital escape routes that were just moments prior full to the brim of fleeing evacuees. Firefighters would then proceed to watch in horror, as the burning inferno managed to surpass any and all containment lines that they had set up, soon engulfing the entire city of Louisa. Within seconds, thousands of buildings would be on fire, as the fire would cross the Big Sandy River without any trouble what so ever. The Lawrence County Courthouse, Lawrence County High School, both Louisa elementary schools, among thousands of other buildings would
Video of the Fire taken by a firefighter in the outskirts of Louisa.
The West Virginia-Kentucky Complex fire expanding rapidly to the southwest the day after it had destroyed Louisa.
be charred within the matter of mere minutes, with nothing but ashes marking the former plots in which they stood in. In the hours following the tragic loss of Louisa, the governor of Kentucky would release a statement, that would say, among other things that the loss of the city was "..one of the worst disasters in Kentucky history.." A total of 47 people would perish in the city. Compiled with the other 5 deaths the fire had resulted in previously, the West Virginia-Kentucky complex (as
Buildings on fire outside of Louisa.
it was called now) would become one of the deadliest wildfires in recent memory, and one of the deadliest wildfires in United States history. As
the West Virginia-Kentucky complex would begin to proceed southwest of Louisa, two new fires would be reported to officials in northern Lawrence County, near the community of Fallsburg. Firefighters would quickly be dispatched to the area of the two fires, but their efforts would do little to quell their expansion. At this point, a "firestorm" had begun to take over the area. WInd gusts in excess of 90 MPH would quickly fan the flames, allowing them to burn out of control as the fire raced to the southwest. Within a couple of minutes, both fires had combined into
A police officer standing alongside his cruiser as the Fall Fire rapidly progresses in his direction.
one, and had became the Fall Fire. In the hours after that, both fires had burned with a fury that was second to none, combining with the West Virginia-Kentucky complex as the early morning hours arrived. The now combined fires would scorch almost the entirety of Yatesville Lake State Park, and would quickly begin to approach the town of Adams as noon of September 9 would approach. Firefighters would manage to stop the fire's expansion, however, as conditions would vastly improve on the side of the firefighters. For the first time in the fire's life, the percentage of containment associated with the blaze would surpass 40%. On September 11, people would be allowed to return to what was left of Louisa and the communities that had been destroyed prior to it. However, evacuation orders would remain in place for the entirety of southwestern Lawrence County, as well as for portions of northern Johnson and eastern Elliot counties. On September 12, winds would begin to increase once more, and the fire would soon overcome the containment that had been set up along the fire's perimeter. Firefighters would fail to re-establish these containment lines, allowing the fire to rapidly expand in the direction of Adams. Planes would begin to apply fire retardant to the fire once more, but even their efforts would prove to be in vain. By Midnight on September 12, Adams had been lost to the blaze. However, after burning the town, firefighters would manage to gain control of the fire once more. Over the course of the next five days, firefighters would manage to contain the fire. Although some fairly substantial expansion would still take place, they would manage to keep it under control. One September 20, the fire had been officially put out.
Brant Fire (Pennsylvania)[]
At around 9:30 PM on September 16, a dry thunderstorm would be reported moving through portions Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Shortly after 9:40, radar would indicate a lighting bolt that had struck northeast of the community of Meyersdale,
The Brant Fire during the night of September 17.
Pennsylvania along Pennsylvania State Route 160. It is believed that lighting strike is what sparked the Brant Fire. Soon, satellite imagery would find an area of anomalous heat within this region, indicating a likely fire. Soon, residents living along Pennsylvania State Route 160 would report an ongoing wildfire in the area, and firefighters would quickly be dispatched to the frontline. With this, evacuations would promptly be issued for the areas in between Witt Road and Bollman Bridge from Brant Road to Glade City Road. All citizens living within this area would quickly be evacuated. While residents within this area
Fire damage in Salisbury.
were evacuated, the Brant fire would proceed to rapidly expanding. By the end of the night, the fire had already burnt nearly a dozen structures and had now jumped Pennsylvania State Route 160, and was actively threatening several more homes. At this point, evacuation orders would be extended to Sand Spring Road. By noon, firefighters had lost their battle with the fire, and the several structures that were previously being threatened by the blaze succumbed to its flames. As September 17 soon entered the latter hours of its existence, conditions
The fire as its flamed advanced into Salisburg, as taken by someone evacuating from the fire.
deemed "Extremely Critical" by the SPC would begin to settle into the region. The Brant Fire would quickly overcome the controls set in place by firefighters, and would begin exhibiting signs of rapid and uncontrolled growth. The behavior would result in mandatory evacuations being extended to include the entirety of the communities of Salisbury and Boynton, as well as southern portions of Meyersdale, including the Meyersdale High School. Within a few hours, the entirety
A house destroyed by the Brant Fire in Boynton.
of the State Game Lands Number 231 would be burnt, and the fire would be knocking on the doorstep of Boynton and US 219. Fire fighters would attempt the halt the blaze's advance, but their efforts would be no use. The fire would quickly cross the highway, and the entire town of Boynton would be lost. Fire fighters would fall back, and set up another fire line in an effort to protect the city of Salisbury. However, once again, the fire would inevitably win, and a large portion of eastern Salisbury would be lost. Fire fighters would be able to stop the fire from advancing further into the community however. Just like the firefighters had been able to halt the fire's advance into Salisbury, as nightfall would arrive, fire fighters would be able to halt the fires southwesterly advance. By late September 18, the fire's rampage had been ended less then a mile from the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. In total, 3 people would be killed by the fire, including one fire fighter who fought to halt the fire's expansion into Boynton. The fire burnt a grand total of 12,672 acres, making it one of the largest wildfires in Pennsylvania history. The governor of Pennsylvania would issue a State of Emergency for the entirety of Somerset County in the days following the event, and would tour the towns of Boynton and Salisbury in the fire's aftermath. After rebuilding began, a monument to commemorate the brave efforts of the fire fighters would fought to protect the area was erected at the intersection of Eagles Mill Road and Robinette Lane outside of Salisbury. The monument would include a plaque detailing the brave deeds of the men and woman who fought against the blaze endlessly to protect the area, and a stone memorializing the firefighter that was killed by the blaze.
Huntington Hills Fire (Tennessee)[]
On September 17, residents of the Kingsport, Tennessee neighborhood of Huntington Hills would report a rapidly growing brush fire along the southbound lane of I-26 rapidly spreading in the direction of residential areas. Firefighters would quickly be dispatched to the area. They would find an out of control brush fire knocking on the doorsteps of the heavily populated Huntington Hills neighborhood. Planes carrying fire retardant would quickly be dispatched to the area, and fire fighters on the ground would begin setting up fire lines in an effort to stop the fire from spreading into the town. This effort of containing the fire was only modestly successful, as a large portion of homes along Birchwood Road and Clandon Drive were lost in the
Homes in Vernon Heights with the Huntington Hills Fire visible in the background.
blaze. The fire would then quickly begin to move the south, as it moved uphill along the mountains present in the region. Seeing this, mandatory evacuations would be extended to include portions of the Vernon Heights neighborhood. By early September 18, the fire was on the other side of the ridge and quickly expanding. Overnight, the fire had completely engulfed the WTFM-FM Transmit Tower, and had completely cut off portions of I-23. As noon would approach, the fire would begin to quell, and firefighters would be able to halt its expansion for the time being. A secondary fire line would be set up at the edge of Vernon Heights in the case that the fire jumped the main line. This secondary line would prove to be useful, after the fire jumped the main line. The second line would prove to the fire's demise however, as the fire would finally be put out by hardworking fire fighters and emergency management. The Huntington Hills Fire would prove to be the largest fire of the event in the state of Tennessee, burning a total of 819 acres.
Crack Fire (Indiana)[]
A building up in flames in Rivervale.
On September 18, local law enforcement reported smoke rising from the forests southeast of Buddha, Indiana near the local area known as Crack Knob. Fire fighters were dispatched to the area, where they found a fire rapidly growing out of control in an environment favorable for fire development and spread. The firefighters would quickly begin to try to take out the fire, but their efforts would be in vein. The fire would continue to burn out of control, before reaching the East Fork White River. The fire would temporarily stall here, allowing for firefighters to set up fire lines on the other side of the river in the case that the fire would cross it. A sudden change in wind direction from the NE to the east north east would result in the fire making a sudden jog to the west, resulting in several homes being lost along Rivervale Cabin Road and Buddha Bypass Road. Firefighters had not anticipated this sudden change in direction, and thus had failed to set up containment lines to prevent spread into this area. At this point, mandatory evacuation orders would be issued for areas from the East Fork White River to Lawrenceport to Blue Bird Pie Road, including the entirety of the community of Rivervale. Fire fighters would be able to keep the fire at bay, until around 10:00 PM, when the fire would be reported to have jumped across the river and the fire line set up by fire fighters. The fire would quickly spread the dry vegetation present in the area, soon encompassing the small community of Rivervale in its burning grasps. Every structure in town would be incinerated. Dozens of homes outside of the community would follow suit. With this sudden expansion of the fire, mandatory evacuations would be expanded to include the entirety of Lawrenceport and Spring Mill State Park, and the city of Mitchell
Two vehicles that were destroyed by the fire. The vehicles were found in Mill Creek State Park.
would be put on high alert. The fire would quickly spread to Spring Mill State Park, where it would take advantage of the park's lush flora, quickly expanding through the park. The firefighters would able to keep the fire at a stand still for nearly two days at or just south of Mill Creek road for nearly two days, before the fire would jump the lines. Fire fighters would manage to protect a majority of the town of Lawrenceport from the flames, with the fire essentially jumping over the northern side of town. Southern portions of the community would not be so lucky. Soon, the fire would have burned the entirety of Spring Mill State Park, and would be on the verge of storming into the city of Mitchell. The southeastern fringes of the fire would undergo very
A plane applying fire retardant on flames near Highway 60.
unpredictable and frankly crazy movement, due to the unpredictable direction of the wind during September 20-22. This unpredictable motion would result in the fire's weird boundaries on its eastern front. Firefighters would be able to keep the fire outside of Mitchell, and would be able to stall it at Highway 60 until planes would be able to drop fire retardant on its leading edge. The fire would be completely extinguished by September 23. 1 person was tragically killed by the fire when their camp site in Spring Mill State Park was completely overwhelmed by the flames. Park officials reported that the individual refused to leave when told to evacuate. The Crack Fire was the only documented fire of the event in Indiana. The inferno burnt a total of 8768 acres, and is thought to be the largest wildfire on record in Indiana.
Arson Investigation[]
After the fire had been extinguished, investigators began to investigate the source of the fire. They would determine that the inferno was started as a result of foul play, and an investigation was conducted. 4 days after the start of the investigation, a teenager from the town of Buddha, Indiana was turned in by his parents, and was found to be the person who started the fire. The teenager plead guilty to all accusations, and would say in an interview with police that the fire was started when he accidentally dropped a candle into a bush. The teenager was brought to court and tried as a juvenile. He was given community service and his family were fined 6000 dollars.
Impacts[]
Smoke and Air Pollution[]
Smoke blanketing the skies above London, Kentucky.
Smoke from the wildfires resulted in extremely poor air quality across much of the east coast, especially in the Appalachian Mountains. Flights were cancelled throughout much of the states of West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee due to the fires. At the peak of the smoke's intensity, several airports were forced to cease operations all together due to poor air quality and the shear amount of flights cancelled. Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky shut down operations for the entirety of two weeks. McGhee Tyson Airport in
Smoke from the wildfires in the skies of New York City.
Knoxville, Tennessee closed down for 1 week due to poor air quality and smoke blanketing the runway. Nashville International Airport closed for one day due to similar reasons. State of emergencies would be declared in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Illinois, and Washington D.C. due too or partially due too the smoke generated by the wildfires.
Sports[]
Numerous sporting events across the east coast were also interrupted by the wildfire smoke. The University of Kentucky Wildcats were forced to relocate their opener against the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks from the Wildcat's home stadium to a neutral site at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The wildcats were also forced to move their second game against the Chattanooga Mocs to Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Other teams that were forced to re-schedule games or move them due to the smoke associated with the wildfires or the fires themselves included the University of Tennessee Volunteers, who were forced to move their opener against the Bowling Green Falcons to a neutral site at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as their second game against the Pitt Panthers to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Ohio Bobcats, who were forced to cancel their second and third games against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and the Northwestern Wildcats due too their home campus being under an evacuation order from the Federal Fire.
Causes[]
Ignition[]
A powerline down near Reynolds Store, Virginia. Many of the fires were sparked by such powerlines being downed. Thankfully, no fire was sparked by this respective powerline.
A large majority of the wildfires were sparked by dry thunderstorms and powerlines downed by strong winds. Arson was also the cause for several fires, most notably the Crack Fire in Indiana.
Climate Change[]
Climate change has led to increased drought and more intense heatwaves across much of the US in recent years, which has led to conditions generally more favorable for wildfires, even in regions that typically don't see extensive amounts of wildfires.