Wildfire, Nelson
- When
- April 25, 11:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
- Where
- Nelson County, All
- Crop damage
- $38,000
- Coordinates
- 37.787, -78.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire in Virginia, April 25, 1996
Several forest fires were ignited across the northern and central Shenandoah Valley near the end of April, a result of continued dry and breezy weather. The fires likely began early on the 24th, and reached their maximum intensity between the 25th and 28th.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- $38,000
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
Several forest fires were ignited across the northern and central Shenandoah Valley near the end of April, a result of continued dry and breezy weather. The stage was set for fire initiation on the 23rd, when strong winds developed ahead of and behind a vigorous cold front.The fires likely began early on the 24th, and reached their maximum intensity between the 25th and 28th. In Madison Co, a moderate-sized fire burned 30 acres on the 25th.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in Nebraska, April 25 to 26, 1996
- High Wind in Iowa, April 25 to 26, 1996
- Wildfire in Virginia, April 25 to 28, 1996
- Wildfire in Virginia, April 25 to 28, 1996
- High Wind in South Dakota, April 25, 1996
- High Wind in Nebraska, April 25, 1996
- High Wind in Ohio, April 25, 1996
- Wildfire in Virginia, April 25, 1996
- High Wind in Indiana, April 25, 1996
- High Wind in South Dakota, April 25, 1996
- High Wind in Wyoming, April 25, 1996
- High Wind in Iowa, April 25, 1996
More
Every storm in Virginia in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, April 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5554917.