Forest Service conducting prescribed burn along river near Rileyville on Friday, March 4

~ PVN staff report

RILEYVILLE, March 3 — The U.S. Forest Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, issued a press release late yesterday afternoon notifying the public that they will be conducting a prescribed burn tomorrow — Friday, March 4 — along the South Fork of the Shenandoah River about one mile from the village of Rileyville.

The prescribed burn, which helps control undergrowth, dried leaves and fuel for future forest fires, will specifically be ignited on the 275-acre Moody Tract eight miles north of Luray and one mile from Rileyville, using the river as a buffer.

The Forest Service will begin ignitions on Friday if weather conditions are appropriate, and the burn should be completed in one day. Firefighters will continue to monitor the area for several days after the burn.

State Route 684, Goods Boat Landing and Goods Landing Road (Forest Service Road 259) may be temporarily closed.

The public is asked to follow posted signs and comply with trail closures when they occur.

Depending on the wind direction, this prescribed burn may have lingering smoke effects. Residents of Bentonville, Fort Valley, Compton, Rileyville and Luray, and travelers on U.S. Route 340, State Route 684 and State Route 717, may see or smell smoke.

For the most up-to-date information visit the inciweb site: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7945/

For more information on our prescribed burn program, please contact the Lee Ranger District at (540) 984-4101 or visit our website www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj.

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