Despite what Smokey Bear says, sometimes even you can't prevent forest fires.
Beginning Tuesday, smoke streaming from Old Rag Mountain forest fires spread to Albemarle County, and University students began to see and inhale the effects yesterday.
An exact cause is not known, but the fires probably were sparked by unusually dry conditions.
The fires started burning several days ago, and as of yesterday the Virginia Dept. of Forestry reported the fires spanned 380 acres and were unable to be contained.
"People seem to think that because of all the smoke these fires are close," Albemarle County spokeswoman Lee Catlin said. "We want to reassure people that these fires are not threatening to this area at all."
Charlottesville Fire Dept. Capt. Doug McGlothlin also said the Old Rag Mountain fires do not pose a threat to Charlottesville, but said factors that could spark additional fires do exist in the area.
"Because conditions are so dry there is potential for further fires and difficulties extinguishing the ones that are burning," McGlothlin said.
Many students said they began to notice the heavy smoke covering around mid-afternoon yesterday.
First-year College student Jo Koontz and her club field hockey teammates noticed the problem during practice near Memorial Gymnasium yesterday.
"I was playing field hockey and it was really bad," Koontz said. "It was making some of our players feel sick."
Catlin said although the smoke was first reported in the northern and western parts of Albemarle County, it is now dispersed throughout. Some of the most serious reports came from residents along Route 29 North, she said.
Second-year College student Karen Hamm drove down Route 29 to go to the grocery store yesterday afternoon and was shocked by the smoky conditions.
"I thought the whole city was on fire - that's what it smelled like," Hamm said.
Second-year College student Matt Pecori said he could smell the smoke through his dorm window in Mosaic House, and other students reported similar instances.
Conditions will be most severe at night and in the early morning, Catlin said. The smoke will continue to hover in the area until the fires are extinguished or the wind direction changes, she said.
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