Thanks to the work of 887 personnel, 24 fire fighting crews, 47 engines and pumper trucks, six bulldozers, three water tenders, seven helicopters and two air tankers, the fires burning in Shenandoah National Park now are 70 percent contained.
Firefighters put out one of the fires, located on Big Meadows and covering 100 acres, on Sunday, Park Ranger Regina Cardwell said.
Fires in Old Rag Mountain and the Pinnacles Area of Shenandoah National Park continue to burn. Officials suspect all three fires began as a result of different human causes.
The fires "are pretty close to full containment," fire information officer Barb Stewart said. "There is a defensible line around most of it. There are mainly leaves burning."
The combined ground and air attack contributed to the successful containment. On the ground, firefighters used leaf blowers to blow leaves both into and away from the fires to create a defensible line around the fires.
The fires, which began Oct. 29, should be completely under control by Nov. 17, according to Cardwell.
"We will probably get there long before then," she said. "We have made progress. In three days the fires have gone from being 45 percent contained to 60 percent contained to 70 percent contained."
While the fires are located about 45 miles west of the University, students here have not been oblivious to its effects.
The fires have produced a "light haze of smoke outside," said second-year College student Lucas Beirne, who serves as a firefighter with Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department.
"There have been a lot of people calling 911 about the smoke," Beirne said. He said he hears the calls from dispatchers while at the fire department.
"These fires are the largest we've ever had in terms of sheer area," Stewart said. "They involve lots of hard work, and there are lots of ways to get hurt" while fighting them.
However, firefighters have suffered only three minor injuries, such as a twisted knee, a twisted ankle and some abrasions.
The fire has not caused damaged to any private homes, but three small historic structures are in ruins.
The long-term effects of the fires on the park will not be known for weeks or even years, officials said.
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