WILDFIRE

Firefighters are spending time away from their families and friends to help protect the communities around Matts Creek.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is back open after crews worked to clear debris from the Matts Creek wildfire, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Some schools in our region will be closed or delayed on Tuesday, Nov. 21 due to air quality concerns as crews continue to battle a wildfire in Bedford County.

School leaders made some changes to their workday on Monday to protect kids from the Matts Creek wildfire smoke.

The Matts Creek Wildfire is continuing to grow in acreage, but also in containment. Now, officials are warning the public to stay safe if you plan to see the fire.

Some schools in our region will be closed Monday, Nov. 20 due to air quality concerns as crews continue to battle a wildfire in Bedford County.

Crews working around the clock to contain the Matts Creek wildfire.

The fire has grown to nearly 6,000 acres and continues to be only 2% contained.

Despite health concerns from the fire watch, some schools are not canceling after-school activities.

In Nelson County, crews are working to put out a fire on Afton Mountain.

Fire officials say more crews are coming. Friday, they have about 250 on scene and more on the way to help fight the Matts Creek Fire.

As the wildfire blazes, Lexington has some of the worst air quality in the area on Friday, falling into the hazardous category.

Pulaski County is the only local department in Virginia funded by the state that works year-round to take the fuel away from a potential wildfire before it happens.

Wildfires continue to blaze across the Commonwealth, with the Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County spanning about 3,600 acres as of Thursday night.

Senator Tim Kaine and Senator Mark Warner are weighing in on the Matts Creek wildfire available federal assistance.

People living near the Matts Creek wildfire are growing more fearful by the minute.

Officials with the U.S. Forest Service say more than 100 firefighters are battling the blaze and the fire is burning where motorized equipment isn't allowed, except in emergencies.

The air quality is having an impact on residents, and even people visiting the Rockbridge County area.

Local water authorities, and city and county officials have not issued water restrictions or bans in the wake of the Matts Creek wildfire.

Crews are still working tirelessly to contain the Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County. Get a look at smoky conditions in surrounding areas.

Some schools in our region will be closed Friday, Nov. 17 due to air quality concerns as the wildfire battle continues in Bedford County.

The Matts Creek wildfire continues to spread, causing poor air quality in parts of our area.

Local doctors are weighing in on the risks associated with wildfire smoke exposure.

Some schools in our region will be closed Thursday, Nov. 16 due to air quality concerns as crews continue to battle a wildfire in Bedford County.

As wildfires continue to permeate much of our region, we’re working for you to keep you updated on the Matts Creek wildfire in Bedford County.

Big Island Elementary School will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 15 due to air quality concerns in the area, according to Bedford County Public Schools.

Crews are still working to fully contain a wildfire in Patrick County.

Officials from Patrick County said though they received some much-needed rain, they are still going to need a few days to contain the wildfire.

A wildfire in Patrick County has burned over 800 acres of forest.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has issued a State of Emergency as the threat of wildfires continues to grow in the Commonwealth.

The wildfire in Patrick County has burned around 1,150 acres in the Ravens Den, Tuggles Gap, and Blue Ridge Parkway area.

After nearly a week of burning, the wildfire that sparked on Parrott Mountain looks to be under control, according to officials.

The wildfire on Parrott Mountain is now 90% contained, according to Pulaski County Emergency Management.

Fire crews from the surrounding areas are working tirelessly to contain a wildfire off Parrott River Road in Pulaski County.

Fires have burned more than 1,800 square miles in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan

Crews with Wintergreen Fire & Rescue said they spent most of their day Wednesday working to put out wildfires in the area.

The wind backs off Wednesday as temperatures begin to rise

Virginia's Spring Fire Season begins

Officials say firefighters from across Tennessee are working to contain a wildfire near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that spread overnight despite rain from storms that passed through the area.

The increased risk has led to burn bans in Danville and Pittsylvania County.

While the haze from the Oregon wildfires may make for beautiful pictures here in Southwest Virginia, local health experts are concerned about its impacts on those with underlying health conditions.

Researchers say smoke from wildfires accounted for up to half of all small particle air pollution in parts of the western U.S. in recent years (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)BILLINGS, Mont. – Wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all health-damaging small particle air pollution in the western U.S. in recent years as warming temperatures fueled more destructive blazes, according to a study released Monday. Nationwide, wildfires were the source of up to 25% of small particle pollution in some years, the researchers said. But it’s difficult to separate how much of the increase in smoke pollution is driven by climate change versus the forest fuel buildup, she added. The new study matches up with previous research documenting the increasing proportion of pollution that comes from wildfire smoke, said Dan Jaffe, a wildfire pollution expert at the University of Washington.

An recently burned area at the Encontro das Aguas park at the Pantanal wetlands near Pocone, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. Wildfire has infiltrated the park as the number of fires at the world's biggest tropical wetlands has more than doubled in the first half of 2020, according to data released by a state institute. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)BRASILIA – A vast swath of a vital wetlands is burning in Brazil, sweeping across several national parks and obscuring the sun behind dense smoke. From January through August, the number of fires more than tripled, topping 10,000. On Friday, Brazil's navy used a helicopter to rescue a burned jaguar cub and take it to a veterinary hospital.