News

Actions

Aerial photos show burned land from Route 288 brushfire

Posted at 10:59 PM, Apr 17, 2013
and last updated 2013-04-17 23:02:03-04

Rich Reuse, with the Virginia Department of Forestry submitted these pictures to WTVR CBS 6.

He said that he measured and mapped the Route 288 fire from last Wednesday and the actual acreage burned is 102 acres.

He flew with the State Police to get these pictures.

The fire was previously considered a 75-acre fire. It shut down parts of Route 288 for hours during the afternoon rush hour on April 10.

Adding to an already hectic commute was a separate brush fire that ignited VA-150 northbound at mile marker 17, near Midlothian.

Firefighters said the hot, windy and dry conditions fed the brush fire.

Tapping every resource available Chesterfield firefighters and forestry officials worked at a feverish pace to keep the fire from swallowing homes off Courthouse Road and crossing 288 to a nearby business park.

Ryan Bauer, who works at Crossfit, says he and his neighbors were getting nervous as the wall of smoke approached their businesses’ back door.

“Police and fire officials came by and said, for insurance purposes, they had us take pictures of the buildings,” said Bauer. “Just in case.”