By Steve Keenan, The Fayette Tribune
GRANDVIEW, W.Va. — As of Thursday morning, the Steep Valley Fire had grown to 1,055 acres, according to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve representative Lori Hynes.
There has been zero percent containment, Hynes reported. “This is a confined containment suppression strategy to keep our firefighters safe,” she explained to media members.
In addition to New River Gorge NPP staff, resources battling the blaze are also coming from Wayne (Ohio) National Forest, State of Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Indiana Dunes (Indiana) National Park, Cuyahoga Valley (Ohio) National Park, and White Mountain (New Hampshire) National Forest.
Additional resources from the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Service arrived Thursday to complement the crews already fighting the fire in National Park Service territory.
On Thursday, a type 3 helicopter from Elkins was assisting with fire suppression efforts.