Loudoun County firefighters have been called to numerous outside fires Sunday amid a red flag fire weather warning, according to a spokesperson, while Montgomery County firefighters battled an at least five-acre blaze.
In Montgomery County, crews were called to the 21500 block of Whites Ferry Road near Edwards Ferry Road in Poolesville around 1:25 p.m. for reports of fire burning in a wooded area.
The fire spread to five acres and jumped a creek, while burning both brush and several large hay bales, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue said.
As of 3:22 p.m., approximately 60 firefighters were on scene and able to contain the flames, the fire was still not out.
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In Loudoun County, "most of the fires have been in western Loudoun on farmland and have involved hay or mulch piles," spokesperson Laura Rinehart said.
No injuries have been reported and property damage has been minimal, she said.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a red flag warning "means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior."
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In response to the weather warning, the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System called in extra units, including brush and tanker trucks to be on standby.
The county was also placed under a burn ban, and residents were told to avoid all open burning and using portable outdoor fire places or chimineas.
The fire weather warning will remain in effect until 10 p.m. Sunday for "gusty winds and low humidity for portions of Northern Virginia, much of Maryland, eastern West Virginia and the District of Columbia," according to the NWS.
