Multiple brush fires burned in parks and near a highway Wednesday, as dry conditions and wind pushed smoke across the region.
A red flag warning was in effect in Virginia for weather conditions that officials warned could lead to the rapid spread of fire. Temperatures were in the 60s on the fourth day of peak bloom as strong wind gusts stirred up petals and dust.
“Forest/brush fires, WEST of #DC currently spreading smoke across the metro as winds gust. Air quality is down and you’ll smell the smoke,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Ryan Miller wrote on X.
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The largest brush fire was west of D.C., in Page County, Virginia. The county declared an emergency and closed all schools Thursday. Luray High School was used as an evacuation shelter.
Photos show bright orange and red flames cresting over the mountains in Luray.
In D.C., at least three acres of Rock Creek Park near the Carter Barron Amphitheatre burned, D.C. Fire and Emergency Services said. Firefighters had to pull down a fence to access the flames.
No homes were damaged, and no injuries were reported, officials said.
In Prince William County, Virginia, at least 39 brush fires were reported. The majority were small. No injuries or damage was reported, officials said.
The "Satellite Thermal Hotspots and Fire Activity" map was created by Storm Team4's Ryan Miller with ArcGIS Experience Builder.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, there was a small brush fire spanning about 1.5 acres near Great Seneca Creek overnight Wednesday, fire officials said. Firefighters used floating pumps and water from a nearby creek to extinguish the flames.
At about 9 p.m., firefighters responded to a brush fire in Oakview, Maryland. The fire was on a trail on Oak View Drive and could be seen from the Beltway.
“If you see smoke from a remote area, call the fire department. It's likely a brush fire. But again, the conditions are very favorable -- low humidity, breezy, windy conditions where it's rapid spread of the fire,” Pete Piringer, a Montgomery County Fire spokesperson, said Wednesday.
The red flag warning expired Wednesday evening, but Thursday remains dry with strong Northwest winds, according to Storm Team4.
"Winds continue to diminish today with dry high pressure overhead. An elevated fire danger looks to continue given the very dry air & NW winds gusting 15-25 mph," the National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington said on X.
