The lack of rainfall during the fall of 2001 created a buildup of dry fuels such as leaves, branches, and brush on forest floors, which resulted in high fire danger. Because of the dry conditions, an ember from an unattended fire, a discarded cigarette, a spark from machinery or a rifle, or lightning could easily start a fire.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
The lack of rainfall during the fall of 2001 created a buildup of dry fuels such as leaves, branches, and brush on forest floors, which resulted in high fire danger. Because of the dry conditions, an ember from an unattended fire, a discarded cigarette, a spark from machinery or a rifle, or lightning could easily start a fire. Due to the high fire danger, the governor of Virginia instituted a statewide outdoor burning ban between October 15th and December 11th. Even with precautions in place, several wildfires broke out during the month of November. Statewide, 999 fires burned 10,909 acres during the fall season. Gusty winds caused a few fires to rapidly spread out of control and consume hundreds of acres. In Page County, a brush fire which started on Dovel Mountain on the 19th burned around 1000 acres before being brought under control on the 28th. Gusty winds turned the 15 acre "Hickory Run" fire into an 850 acre inferno within 24 hours which resulted in the evacuation of the Shenandoah Gap development. On the evening of the 19th, one home was burned to the ground in the development and another sustained significant fire damage. Twenty five other homes in the community were spared by the firefighter's efforts. A smaller fire burned in the Lucas Hollow area nearby on the 21st. Rapid response kept the fire from expanding beyond 50 acres and it was contained the same day. In Albemarle County, a large "ground based" fire began along Route 633 northwest of Covesville on the 18th, most likely sparked by a discarded cigarette. The fire burned up Heard Mountain and led to the closure of Heard Mountain Road. It burned a total of 1100 acres before being brought under control on the 21st.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 17, 9:10 PM EST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON 910 PM EST SAT NOV 17 2001 HIPRES RDG NEW ENGLND-DELMARVA KEEPING FLW NELY. MSTR IN PLC...AND PROGGED TO REMAIN SO PER 18Z MDL GDNC AND LTST RUC. THUS...SOME LOW CLD/FOG DVLPMNT LIKELY...AND WL LV IN FCST. MAY BE SOME LCLLY DENSE AREAS...BUT DO NOT FEEL LCTN/DURATION WARRANTS ADVSRY. HWVR... SUSPECT THERE WL BE A GRTR CITY-BURB SPREAD TO MIN/T...AS MOS AND LAMP DATA BOTH SUGGEST. THUS...WL UPDT FCST FOR THIS REASON. VALUES WL BE CLS TO MOS...WHICH APPRS TO HV A RSNBL HNDL ON SITUATION. NO OTR CHGS PLANNED ATTM. LOOK FOR NEW ZFP/RDF ARND 930 PM EST/0230 UTC. GNGT .LWX... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. HTS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A wildfire which started along Route 633 northwest of Covesville burned 1100 acres.
A wildfire burned 1000 acres on Dovel Mountain. Two Shenandoah Gap homes were damaged.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, November 2001
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: 5272153, 5272152.