CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Firefighters are still battling the large fire at Waites Run in Hardy County, which has burned more than 4,300 acres as of Tuesday morning.
According to a press release from the U.S. Forest Service and West Virginia and Virginia forestry divisions, there will be increased smoke in the area around Wardensville on Tuesday, but it is mostly from controlled burns.
The release said that the fire is currently 42% contained, but firefighters aren't able to fight the fire directly in many areas because of the terrain. At this point, firefighters are working on creating lines to contain the fire, the release said.
The fire has been burning since March 20 and burned more than 3,500 acres and "countless" buildings by March 21. Helicopters with the West Virginia National Guard responded to the fire on Friday and returned to their home bases that same day.
Several other fires are burning nearby in what the Forest Service has deemed the North Zone Complex, including a 6,257-acre fire in Shenandoah and Page counties in Virginia and a 2,622-acre fire in Rockingham County, Virginia.
Officials said there is still a flying ban for drones in those areas, and a number of trails are closed in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. For the most updated information, follow the forest on Facebook.
