Shenandoah issues a fire ban

Shenandoah National Park has barred campfires and other open flames as dry weather and high fire danger raise the risk of a wildfire inside the park. (cbs19news.com) Park staff said the ban is temporary and will stay in place until moisture conditions improve. Shenandoah said it applies to campfires and similar open-flame activities across the park. (cbs19news.com) The move comes as Virginia enters its spring wildfire season, which Shenandoah says runs from February through May and produces most of the park’s wildfires. The park says human activity causes most fires in Virginia. (nps.gov) State fire officials said the first two weeks of April 2026 were unusually dry, and an early heat wave, gusty winds, and low humidity created what the Virginia Department of Forestry called “red flag” wildfire conditions. Michael Downey, the agency’s assistant director for Wildfire Hazard and Prevention, said April 16 is expected to bring the highest risk this week. (wsls.com) Madison County, which borders Shenandoah, also declared a fire prohibition effective noon Tuesday, April 14, citing severe drought, elevated Keetch-Byram Drought Index values, low humidity, and high temperatures. The county said the order covers campfires, brush fires, burn barrels, and bonfires until further notice. (madisonco.virginia.gov) Shenandoah has used park-wide fire bans before under similar conditions. In March 2024, the park imposed a complete fire ban during a Red Flag Warning, and a week later said a park-wide ban remained in effect as crews responded to the Rocky Branch Wildfire. (cbs19news.com) (nps.gov) The park’s standing fire rules are already strict: wood, charcoal, coal, and other solid-fuel fires are normally allowed only in park-built rings and grates, and solid-fuel fires are always banned in the backcountry. The new order shuts down even those front-country fires for now. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) For visitors, the immediate change is simple: no campfires while the ban is active, even in places where they are usually permitted. Shenandoah said it will update the restriction as conditions change. (cbs19news.com)