Some blazes contained, more help coming from out of state as Kentucky wildfires burn
Crews continued to battle wildfires in Eastern Kentucky over the weekend as more resources from around the country responded to the area to help, according to the Kentucky Division of Forestry.
Over the weekend, teams from the Idaho Department of Lands arrived in Kentucky to assist with containing the fires. The first arriving Idaho crew was sent to the Pine Mountain area, near the border of Virginia in southeast Kentucky.
Later in the weekend, four bulldozers from the Texas A&M Forest Service showed up, according to the Division of Forestry.
“Operators Matt Moore and Dalton Bailey and the other support from Texas will receive an introductory briefing and be on their way to help battle the wildfires in eastern Kentucky,” the Division of Forestry said in a Facebook post. “Welcome to Kentucky and thank You for your help!”
More than 20 counties in Kentucky are under an active burn ban as a result of the wildfires, according the Division of Forestry. The list includes Breathitt, Boyd, Bullitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Lawrence, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Metcalfe, Morgan, Nelson, Perry, Pike, Trimble, Union and Whitley counties.
The following is prohibited when a burn ban is activate, according to the Division of Forestry:
- Burning of forest, grass, crops, woodlands, marshes or other similar areas.
- Burning leaves or debris.
- Campfires, bonfires and warming fires.
- Open pit cooking and charcoal grilling.
- Use of fireworks and welding may also be prohibited or regulated.
Crews were able to contain a fire in the area of Peddler Fork in Pike County and a fire in the area of Petersburg Road in Nelson County over the weekend, according to the Division of Forestry. The Petersburg Road fire started Wednesday and burned 75 acres.
Crews from Oregon assisted with the Peddler Fork fire, the Division of Forestry said.
“We are so very thankful for these brave individuals as well as all the others, KDF and ODF (Oregon Department of Forestry) included, out there on the frontlines who have sacrificed to come to our aid,” the Division of Forestry said in a Facebook post.
The Yocum Creek Road fire in Harlan County has been 90% contained but has not yet been extinguished. The division of forestry said approximately 1,500 acres have burned in that fire.
A state of emergency was declared Thursday to allow state officials to access resources like Kentucky Emergency Management and Kentucky National Guard if necessary.
The division of forestry has provided an interactive map of Kentucky showing the active and contained wildfires.
