Virginia
West Virginia fire departments brace for high risk of wildfires this fall
MOOREFIELD, Wv. (WHSV) – Six months after wildfires spread across the Shenandoah Valley and West Virginia, the Mountain State is preparing for a fall season with a high risk of more wildfires due to dry conditions.
Moorefield Volunteer Fire Company Chief Doug Mongold said some counties in southern West Virginia already have burn bans in place, and he expects more counties to follow suit.
“I think the biggest fear now is because it’s been such a dry summer, and it looks like to me it’s going to be an early fall, the leaves are already falling from the trees,” Mongold said. “That’s a big problem with leaves falling already — that just increases the fire fuel if there is a fire.”
Mongold said he encourages people around West Virginia not to burn unless they absolutely have to.
“If they don’t have to burn, just don’t burn at all. If you have to burn with a campfire or whatever, just make sure you have the perimeter around it cleared and you have water there in case something does go wrong,” Mongold said. “If you have any fire at all, call the fire department and at least get them started, because the sooner you catch [it] the better chance you have of putting it out. So, just be diligent in doing those things.”
Beyond raising awareness and encouraging fire safety, Mongold said there is not much local fire departments can do to prepare for possible fall wildfires. However, he said there are now more resources available on the state level.
“On the state level, it appears that they’ve been doing some stuff and came up with some money. Now I see that State Forestry has dozers and some new side-by-sides with firefighting equipment on the back, such as tanks and hose reels and that kind of stuff,” Mongold said.
While volunteer numbers around the nation have declined for volunteer fire companies Mongold said that Moorefield has been fortunate to maintain a good number of volunteers.
“We still have a good number of people compared to a lot of departments, but when you get on a fire that’s a couple days long, you deplete those very quickly because those people still have to work and that kind of stuff. So, it gets a little tough sometimes,” he said.
Nevertheless, Mongold said fire departments around the region and state agencies did learn from the wildfires in the spring.
“I think there could be better communication between all the agencies involved, whether it’s the state forestry, the state office of emergency management and the 911 centers,” Mongold said. “We were wanting satellite view maps of the area so you can see ‘Maybe we can go in over here.’ We’ll be better prepared if it happens again. We’ve got better resources to get those kinds of things, but working together and communicating better will definitely help that.”
Mongold stressed that if you see any smoke or signs of fire, make sure to call 911.
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Virginia
Netflix casting Central Virginia singles for “Love on the Spectrum” after Danville man joins show
DANVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Netflix is searching for singles in Central Virginia to appear on its documentary-style dating series “Love on the Spectrum,” after a Danville man was cast for an upcoming season and producers are now looking to find his match.
The series follows adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate dating.
Monica Karavanic, executive director of The Arc of Southside in Danville, said the person cast has ties to her organization.
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“This show has been loved by millions internationally and so for it to come to Danville is pretty awesome and we’re just really excited and hoping to make it work,” Karavanic said.
Casting is focused on singles ages 25 to 40, of any gender, who live near Danville or Lynchburg and would be interested in going on a date with a man on the spectrum. Producers say the time commitment could be as little as half a day.
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For more information on how to apply, you’re asked to email: production@northernpictures.com.au
RICHMOND, Va. — Friday will be sunny and seasonably warm, with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s.
The pattern of cool nights and mild afternoons will continue through the weekend and through much of next week as upper-level flow continues to bring reinforcing mild and dry air out of eastern Canada.
Rain chances will be very limited over the next week, with only a slim chance with a frontal passage on Monday.
Stay With CBS 6, The Weather Authority.
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WTVR
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — Ressie Keen, a 107-year-old Pittsylvania County woman, is safe after escaping a house fire that destroyed her more than 100-year-old home, leaving behind a yard filled with charred debris and scattered belongings.
Keen said she has no special secret to her longevity.
“I ain’t got no secret, just thanking the Lord to let me stay here to see 107,” she said.
Keen said she moved to the home decades ago and built a life there.
“I’ve moved there in 1969, our first crop was made in 1970, and I been living there ever since,” she said.
The fire broke out in Keen’s bedroom on Thursday afternoon. Keen said she and her sitter got out as the fire grew.
“I don’t know what happened, only thing I knew to do was to get out of there. So me and my sitter we got out. She tried to put it out but she couldn’t,” Keen said.
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Pittsylvania County Fire Marshal Scott Hutcherson said investigators believe the fire started with an electrical issue.
“We think we had an electric outlet failure, more or less; an adaptor on the outlet probably failed,” Hutcherson said. He said the fire spread quickly once it ignited nearby items. “It set the bed on fire and the clothes that was on top of it, the material on top of it, what’s pretty much what got the fire going. And then it easily spread to the second story.”
Keen’s son, Ronnie Keen, said the loss has been painful for the family.
“It was devastating real devastating, lot of memories lost. But I know those memories and emotions the things that were sentimental were still right here,” he said.
A family photo album was among the few items recovered. Pointing to one image, Ronnie Keen said, “That’s a picture of the house.”
He added that the album was badly damaged. “It’s so charred it’s kinda hard to open,” he said.
Keen also held onto her favorite cast-iron pan.
“I knew this wasn’t going to get burnt up,” she said.
The home was considered a total loss, but the family said the most important thing is that Ressie Keen survived. She is now living with her son.
“I’m overjoyed that she’s here with us and she’s safe,” Ronnie Keen said.
Hutcherson said to prevent this, make sure that there is a smoke alarm in your home. He says you can reach out to the Pittsylvania County Public Safety office for a free installation of a smoke alarm.
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