Fires IN SNP - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

Date: October 19, 2007

Shenandoah National Park will begin fire restrictions on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. Due to exceptionally dry conditions and the potential for extreme fire behavior, the restrictions listed below will be in effect until the park receives sufficient precipitation.

All wood, charcoal, coal or solid fuel open air fires will be prohibited throughout the park. This includes campgrounds, picnic areas and shelters. The use of liquid or gas-fueled portable stoves in the backcountry will also be prohibited. Wood, charcoal, coal or solid fuel fires are already prohibited in the backcountry.
Smoking will be permitted only inside vehicles, established parking areas, in developed campgrounds, and in designated smoking areas inside buildings. Smoking will be prohibited on all trails.
How do we Hikers suppose to eat ???They are trying to kill us one by one LOL…

Tambourine

#2

I can’t recall the last time a forest fire was started by a backpackers stove…hell vene a campers 2 burner stove. The above restrictions are ridiculous!

diferent Socks

#3

I think the cannister type stoves (isobutane, propane, etc.) are probably the least likely to start a fire, if used with due caution… but they’re still a fire hazard if used on the ground without clearing a substantial circle around them down to mineral soil.

As for other backpacker stoves…

I’ve seen the popular alcohol stoves set fire to picnic tables (fer gosh sakes!) wayyyyyyyy too many times (ever notice the round charred areas on picnic tables, shelter floors, etc.!?). What’s particularly dangerous with them… the alcohol burns almost invisibly.

Gasoline-fueled stoves can start fires if improperly primed, filled or handled. I’ve seen burning gasoline flung all over the place when the stoves’ owners overreacted to a flareup due to overpriming, spillage or leakage!

When conditions are tinderbox dry and windy, I can see the reasoning behind prohibiting any and all possible sources of ignition… anyone can make a mistake or an oversight, and one is all it takes to jeopardize or DESTROY thousands of acres of forest. Definitely NOT a ridiculous policy!

TBott

TBott

#4

Extreme weather conditions will always call for extreme measures to be taken, to protect the wilderness from the lowest common denominator.

I’ve seen plenty of circumstances that warrant the above actions to be taken - by both experienced and non-experienced hikers - such as accidental alcohol fuel spillage, failure to correctly operate camping stoves, and being unfamiliar with how a stove even works before bringing it out on your trip. Just take notice of how many charred circles occur at any picnic table, or even on the wood floors of some shelters, and you can easily see why this ban has been put in place.

Granted, it may suck to not have a warm meal for a few nights, but that’s all it is…a few nights. There are plenty of ways around this, including dropping in at any of the plentiful waysides for a hot meal during the day.

It will all be okay in the long run, and we’ll protect the forest from potential fires that could damage the area for years and put a ton of people in harm’s way.

bearbait

#5

“I’ve seen the popular alcohol stoves set fire to picnic tables (fer gosh sakes!) wayyyyyyyy too many times (ever notice the round charred areas on picnic tables, shelter floors, etc.!?). What’s particularly dangerous with them… the alcohol burns almost invisibly”

See, now that’s another reason to use those cat stoves. Don’t care if they are light weight, better to not leave behind a signature circle on the table/floor etc.

Different Socks

#6

a ranger in snp told me of a hiker who started a forest fire in the park when his stove malfunctioned. she said it was the main reason stoves became part of the fire ban in nov 2001.

ldh

#7

I visited SNP shortly after a prescribed burn got away from the rangers. It was pretty nasty and really damaged part of the park. If there’s a fire danger, then all fires should be banned, no matter the source, including stoves of any type. Campfires outside of established car camping areas are a bad idea anyway. I wish every backpacker would stop building campfires.

Fires

#8

GSMNP also instituted a fire ban for the backcountry only this past Friday. It does NOT include stoves however and also does not apply to the car campgrounds and picnic areas.

Fine by me to do away with campfires in the backcountry. Particularly in wilderness areas.

deepsouthhiker

#9

Campfires are always banned in SNP’s backcouyntry except for established fireplaces at shelters and overnight huts. During the new ban that starts 10/24, even they will be banned.

Most experienced backpackers could probably use a small backpacking stove safely at shelter areas on available picnic tables or even on the gravel that surrounds many shelters–just like they can be used under this ban at picnic areas. The problem is the occasional newbie who doesn’t know what he or she is doing. So, it’s probably a good idea to ban them since the Park doesn’t have the personnel to give everyone who gets a backcountry permit a proficiency test. It’s REALLY dry out there–I’d ban them at picnic areas, too, if it was up to me (one of our worst fires ever, in 2000, was started by a careless picnicker at Pinnacles Picnic Area).

The drought can’t last forever, so I suspect anyone who just can’t hike without a heated meal at the end of the day will wait until we get some precip. That might, however, take us into early winter or later.

Others who really want to hike now will find ways to cope. Actually, the cooler temps give you more options than you would have in the summertime. Even before the ban went into effect, my partner and I just had a great weekend in SNP’s woods without the need for cooking. Lots of good ideas are available on ultralight backpacking sites, White Blaze, etc.

Also, remember that all the SNP restaurants, grills, campstores, etc. will be open through the end of October so if you plan your itinerary with this in mind you can vary your diet by taking advantage of those. Beyond October, Elkwallow Wayside and Big Meadows Lodge will be open one more weekend into November, and Big Meadows Wayside and Skyland Lodge will be open until the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Skyline

#10

SNP is very hikeable once again. Over 4" of rain locally, more in some places, last week. Springs and streams are recharged for now, burn ban lifted by Governor Kaine.

Skyline