DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY|dewayne@mcnews.online
Ouachita National Forest – The U.S. Forest Service has announced that the Fodderstack wildfire burning in the Ouachita National Forest is now fully contained after burning just over 2,000 acres.
The wildfire was detected on November 28 at approximately 11:30 a.m., about four miles southwest of Albert Pike Campground in Polk and Montgomery Counties, or about five miles east of Shady Lake Campground. Located in a largely inaccessible area due to steep terrain, fire managers allowed the fire to burn toward easily accessible, pre-existing control lines.
Full fire suppression tactics were used on the Fodderstack wildfire to extinguish the fire, including the use of fire activity to bring the fire’s edge to a more accessible natural or man-made boundary to minimize firefighter exposure to steep terrain and increase the probability of suppression success. Natural and man-made boundaries may include stream crossings, roads, previously burned areas, or trail systems.
A drop in overnight temperatures helped prevent large fire growth. The weekend brought an increase in humidity which helped suppress fire growth.
The Viles Branch and Eagle Rock trails were closed for a time, but were reopened Saturday, December 4. The public is encouraged to remain vigilant and aware of smoky and changing conditions and additional emergency response traffic on roads within the fire area. Fire managers continue to work collaboratively with Polk and Montgomery Counties. The cause of the wildfire is currently under investigation.
Although the cause of the fire is unknown at this time, The U.S. Forest Service would like to take this opportunity to review some simple steps to prevent wildfires from campfires.
Here are some campfire safety tips from Smokey Bear: https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/campfire-safety
● Consider not having a fire, even when there’s no fire ban
● Build reasonably-sized fires
● Use existing fire rings, if possible. If there is not an existing fire pit, and pits are allowed, choose a site at least 15 feet from tent walls, shrubs, trees or other flammable objects. Beware of low-hanging branches
● Prepare for wind in the fall and spring. Sparks can catch the wind and travel to a burnable patch
● Coals can smolder for days. Empty a jug of water on the fire and bury it with at least an inch or two of soil. Check in the morning to make sure it’s not still warm. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave. And never leave your campfire unattended.