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Campfires banned in national forest
ROANOKE - The George Washington-Jefferson National Forest has announced a ban on campfires and stoves or grills that use solid fuel such as charcoal, wood or coal. Stoves that use liquid or gas fuel will still be permitted. This ban applies to all national forest lands administered by the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, including both developed and dispersed areas. The ban began Saturday, Oct. 13 and will expire Saturday, Dec. 15.
The ban has been implemented due to the extremely dry conditions. "Escaped campfires are the third leading cause of wildfires on the forest," said fire management officer Greg Sanders. "We've been in a continuous fire season since early 2006. We've had at least one fire each of the last 11 months and 18 in the past 21 months."
The Tucker Gap Fire, which started Sept. 27 and burned approximately 130 acres of the Jefferson National Forest in southwest Virginia, was caused by an escaped campfire.
For more information contact your local Ranger District officer or visit the forest Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r8/ gwj.
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