The National Park Service said the Steep Valley fire was first reported on Monday, Nov. 6 and is now 78 percent contained. The fire continues to burn minimally in steep and rugged parts of inaccessible terrain.
The Steep Valley fire has burned more than 2200 acres of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
The National Park Service said the Steep Valley fire was first reported on Monday, Nov. 6 and is now 78 percent contained. The fire continues to burn minimally in steep and rugged parts of inaccessible terrain.
Hunters and visitors are advised to avoid the War Ridge and Backus Mountain areas near Meadow Bridge in Fayette County.
A helicopter was brought in on Wednesday to perform aerial water drops using water from the New River. On Thursday, crews continued to monitor existing fire lines with strategic controlled burns to burn out pockets of fuel to help strengthen existing lines.
“We appreciate all the dedicated crews and the countless hours they have put in while working the fire. We will continue to monitor the fire and focus on firefighter safety,” said Nate Orsburn, incident commander trainee for the Steep Valley Fire. “We would like to thank the community for their hospitality, support, and patience since the beginning of this challenging fire, it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
State Forester and Director of the WV Division of Forestry (WV DOF), Jeremy Jones said the public is asked to refrain from calling local county emergency services centers to make smoke complaints.
“This is an effort to reduce false alarm calls that can pull resources away from local volunteer fire departments,” Jones said. “However, if you see a fire or column of smoke rising from a specific place, please call 911 immediately.”
To date, only one minor injury to a firefighter has been reported. The cause of the Steep Valley fire remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, as of 10 a.m. Thursday morning, 33 firefighters remained on the site of a 100-acre fire just off Forest Road 947 in the Monongahela National Forest in Pocahontas County. They included crews from the Boise National Forest, Tonto National Forest, Modoc National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Nevada Bureau of Land Management, and the Job Corps.
So far this year, West Virginia has experienced 916 fires, burning approximately 11,340 acres. One hundred and fourteen of those fires have happened since Oct. 1.
Monongahela National Forest Public Affairs Officer Kelly Bridges said the drier weather is fanning the flames.
“West Virginia’s having a very dry fall and in the afternoons when it heats up we’re getting down to really low humidities and that’s what can make these fires grow,” she said.
The National Weather Service said it has predicted rain for Friday.
Fall fire season started Oct. 1 and continues through Dec. 31. The WV DOF reminds residents to make sure all campfires are completely out when leaving an area. For burning guidelines visit West Virginia state fire laws.
For more information and updates on current fire conditions in West Virginia, visit InciWeb or the U.S. Forest Service – Monongahela Forest Facebook page.
Staff at the Monongahela National Forest are preparing to conduct prescribed burns in the area through June.
Staff at the Monongahela National Forest are preparing to conduct prescribed burns in the area through June.
Prescribed burns are planned fires meant to maintain a forest’s health and prevent overgrowth. They help improve habitats by removing invasive species, recycling nutrients into the soil and providing forage for wild game. It also helps to prevent more dangerous wildfires.
“What we’re doing is we’re trying to reestablish fire’s natural role in forest ecosystems,” Monongahela National Forest Fire and Fuel Planner Conor Shanahan said.
The areas scheduled for prescribed burns include units in Pendleton, Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties, totaling 1,251 acres.
The areas include:
Big Mountain Unit 9 and 10 in Pendleton County
Chestnut Ridge North/South Savanna Units 1 and 2 in Pocahontas County
Hopkins Units A, B and C in Greenbrier County
Brushy Mountain Units B2, B4 and B6 in Greenbrier County
These areas will be closed off during the day of the burn, and may be closed during the few days after for public safety.
“Our burns might be seen by the public but usually we post signs on roads the day of or the day before burning,” Shanahan said. “People may see or smell smoke, but besides that, they wouldn’t really have much encounters with any of our burning corps or fire.”
No specific dates have been announced as burns are scheduled for days with specific weather conditions and could be delayed because of temperature, humidity, smoke dispersion and wind.
Information and maps about the burnings will be available online when they begin.
In this Folkways story about the Cass Railroad, you’ll meet railroad senior employee Rex Cassell. He passed away during the making of this story, but during his life, he was a crucial part of why visiting the Cass Railroad in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, feels like you’re stepping back in time.
This story originally aired in the Oct. 7, 2022 episode of Inside Appalachia.
With a resounding whistle that you can feel to your core, the Durbin Rocket takes off from the train depot and begins its journey into the mountains of Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Eager tourists lean out from the open-air coaches of this 1920s-era train as it winds along the Greenbrier River. It is one of those hot summer days where you can almost hear the hum of sunshine in the air, but the heat doesn’t keep the train enthusiasts away.
Kentaro Okuni is one of those eager tourists. Okuni traveled from his home in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with his wife, Hiroi, and his young son, Takenojo, to see the impressive Shay steam trains run. This is their second time making the journey out to Cass, and their enthusiasm about the steam trains is visible. Many visitors on the train are not from West Virginia, and in the years before the pandemic it was fairly common for folks to travel to the small town of Cass from all over the world.
Riding the train at Cass is a niche experience, one that wouldn’t be possible without a committed group of experts who fix and operate the trains. One of those people was Rex Cassell, the shop foreman down at the Cass Repair Shop. Cassell was a senior employee at the Cass railroad, and he passed away during the making of this story.
Lauren Griffin
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Rex Cassell was the shop foreman down at the Cass Repair Shop. A native of Cass, he spent most of his life around the locomotives.
Cassell officially worked on these locomotives for about 30 years. Like a lot of the other engineers, hostlers, and machinists at Cass, he was the third generation in his family to work with locomotives. His grandfather worked for the C&O Railroad and taught Cassell a lot as a boy. His father stayed in the family business and worked at Cass, often bringing Cassell into work with him.
“I would lay on the floor of the locomotive,” Cassell said. “And he would cover me up with an old greasy rag that was in there. And now I’ll never forget, I’d wake up and he’d be shoveling coal over top of me into the firebox. And then I’d go right back to sleep.”
The other guys on the crew referred to Cassell as “a wealth of knowledge” due to his experience in the field. At the time of the interview, Cassell was approaching retirement. It is essential for the younger generation of workers at Cass to learn as much as possible from the “old timers” before that knowledge is lost.
The locomotives running out of Cass were built in the early 1900s all the way to the 1950s and 60s. The knowledge on how to repair and run these locomotives is mostly handed down through hands-on learning. Cass has a unique terrain that sets it apart from other railroads. Firing a flat-land locomotive is much different than running an engine up the 6-8 percent grades around in Pocahontas County.
“The only way you can learn how to do it is to just get in with the engineer to show you and then learn it hands on. There’s no book out there that will tell you how to do this,” Cassell said.
One of the members of the younger generation is Dervin Lambert. Like Cassell, Lambert grew up around these trains. His grandfather also worked at the Cass Repair Shop as a machinist, and Lambert himself started working there when he was just 15 years old.
“I’m hands on, and I don’t mind getting dirty. And, you know, it’s hot, it’s aggravating sometimes. But at the end of the day, it’s a good job,” Lambert said.
Lauren Griffin
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Dervin Lambert has been working at the Cass Repair Shop since he was 15 years old. His father worked here before him.
The job is not just running tourist trains — it’s also running freight. The freight trains haul a variety of goods with modern locomotives, but it’s the antique steam trains that require more effort. The job is not for everyone, even people whothought they wanted to work on trains. Cassell has seen his fair share of people come and go.
“They didn’t like the dirt, the soot, the smoke, the oil. It’s not a job for somebody who wants to stay clean,” Cassell said.
The engines are also incredibly hot. On a summer day, the locomotives average between 130-150 degrees. The engine has to be continuously fed with coal, which only adds to the physical demands of the job.
Lauren Griffin
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Dervin Lambert shows off the furnace inside a Shay No. 5 locomotive. On a hot summer day, temperatures inside can hit 150 degrees.
The population in Cass is shrinking. The demands of the job are significant, and in the past the field has predominantly been dominated by workers who are men. The railroad has expanded their employee search pool beyond the region in an effort to find committed workers who can handle the demands of the job. One person who doesn’t mind the rough conditions is Matthew Hauser. He’s one of the newest recruits, along with his friend Brown Culp.
Hauser and Culp previously volunteered at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina. One year, they took a trip together with their fathers up to Cass. Their visit inspired them to hatch a plan to move and take their passions to the next level working on the locomotives at Cass. Their plan worked. Hauser has been working at Cass for about a year, and Culp followed him up in the spring.
Lauren Griffin
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Matthew Hauser (left) and Brown Culp (right) are new recruits from North Carolina working at Cass. Starting out as volunteer train enthusiasts, Hauser is now an engineer with his friend Culp as his fireman.
“We probably make or manufacture 80 percent of our parts. There’s a few things to do in the outside world that we can buy, but you’re talking a lot of money when it is,” Cassell said.
Hauser is the engineer for the morning ride on the Durbin Rocket. As an engineer, Hauser is responsible for running the engine: keeping it lubricated, watching the track for obstacles, coordinating with the train conductor, and helping the trip run as smoothly as possible. His friend Culp is a fireman, which means he fuels and maintains the fire in the locomotive during trips. People like Hauser and Culp are important for the survival of the industry in Cass.
It’s not just recruitment that is challenging. The rising costs of materials and supplies is also threatening the future of the railroad.
Lauren Griffin
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
When it comes to repairing and maintaining the locomotives, the employees manufacture most of their own parts here at the Cass Repair Shop.
With industry costs rising, Cass employees worry that increasing ticket prices in response might push tourists away. John Smith, originally from Philadelphia, is the CEO and founder of the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. Smith has been pivotal in the effort to keep the railroad running.
“The biggest question mark is, are we going to have the base of customers that we had before?” Smith said.
The ticket price is still on the lower end compared to other heritage railroads around the country, but Cass is fairly remote. It sits within the National Radio Quiet Zone, a scientific research area established for the world’s largest steerable telescope in Green Bank. Radio transmissions are heavily restricted, and the area does not get cell service. The only way to get to the area is by car, which can be an additional expense and challenge for folks trying to visit. For people that do, however, it’s a singular experience.
“Especially if you’re in like one of those air conditioned cars whipping down the tracks over on the Central, it’s pretty cool. Even the ride here with all the noise and everything else…it’s almost musical. When you hear a steam whistle a mile away, there’s no one who wouldn’t say that’s one of the coolest things you ever heard,” Smith said.
Traveling to Cass is like stepping back in time. Hearing that steam whistle invokes a sense of nostalgia and excitement for a past long gone. But it’s the dedication, commitment, and passion of the employees at the railroad that keep the trains running, year after year.
Lauren Griffin
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Much of the town of Cass has remained unchanged since its founding in the early 1900s, including its Depot.
——
This story is part of the Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Project, a partnership with West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inside Appalachia and the Folklife Program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.
The Folkways Reporting Project is made possible in part with support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories of Appalachian folklife, arts, and culture.
More than $800,000 has been awarded to four county school boards in West Virginia to help with school safety needs.
Grant, Pocahontas, Upshur and Marshall County Boards of Education will see a portion of an $824,774 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
West Virginia U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito made the announcement in a joint press release this week.
The funding can be used for training opportunities for local law enforcement, such as preventing student violence, or for purchasing metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures at schools.
The funding may also be used for enhanced technology to more quickly contact police during an emergency.
“Our students deserve to be safe, especially while they’re in their classrooms and on the playground,” Manchin said. “And as our students face the challenges of attending school during the COVID-19 pandemic, we should work to provide as much safety as possible.”
“It is great to see this funding from such a competitive program awarded to our law enforcement community and schools in West Virginia,” said Capito. “Ensuring the safety of our kids and the peace of mind for our parents is critical.”
Grant County will see $390,069 of the grant; Pocahontas County will see $167,915; Upshur County will see $146,230, and Marshall County will see $120,560.
On April 14, 1928, the West Virginia Fish and Game Commission purchased Droop Mountain Battlefield in Pocahontas County. Three months later, Droop Mountain was dedicated as West Virginia’s first state park. In November 1863, one of the most important Civil War battles in West Virginia occurred at Droop Mountain, when Union forces repulsed one of the last major Confederate advances into West Virginia.
By the early 20th century, Droop Mountain had changed dramatically in appearance. The American chestnut tree blight, extensive logging, and a severe drought in the 1930s had left the mountain mostly barren and susceptible to forest fires.
Although the park had been dedicated in 1928, Droop Mountain didn’t really take on the appearance of a state park until 1935, when the Civilian Conservation Corps established Camp Prince on the mountain. CCC workers forged paths that highlighted battle graves, breastworks, and battlefield monuments. Other features of the park include picnic shelters, overnight cabins, a small Civil War museum, and an observation tower with a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. And today, the mountain is again lush with native trees.
The Pocahontas County seat of Marlinton was incorporated on April 2, 1900, but its history dates back to frontier days. Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell’s arrival about 1749 is generally considered the first white settlement in the Greenbrier Valley. By the early 1800s, Marlin’s Bottom—as it was known—was a transportation crossroads, with turnpikes converging from Warm Springs and Greenbrier and Randolph counties. A covered bridge was built across the Greenbrier River in 1854.
By the 1890s, Marlinton was still mostly farmland. But, at the urging of land developers, the county seat was relocated from Huntersville to Marlinton in 1891. After the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway arrived around the turn of the century, Marlinton boomed. By 1910, it had a tannery, two banks, two newspapers, about 20 stores, a hospital, an opera house, a fire department, a school, a water system, and electric power.
The late 20th century took a toll on Marlinton. The tannery and railroad line shut down, and floods in 1985 and 1996 inflicted significant damage. But the town is on an uptick now as a destination site for heritage tourism.
