Wildfires Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

A Camp For African American Heritage And ‘Holler,’ Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, we visit a summer camp that’s part of the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan. Also, during the Great Depression, Osage, West Virginia was a raucous river town. It’s sleepier now, but music is keeping the magic alive. And, the author of an upcoming graphic novel about pipeline fighters has a message for people outside the region.

This week, we visit a summer camp that’s part of the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan.

Also, during the Great Depression, Osage, West Virginia was a raucous river town. It’s sleepier now, but music is keeping the magic alive.

And, the author of an upcoming graphic novel about pipeline fighters has a message for people outside the region.

You’ll hear this story and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

The Legacy Of Norman Jordan

Sariah Nichols (far left) and her vocal group perform “To Be Young Gifted and Black.”

*Photo Credit: Traci Phillips/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Affrilachian poet and playwright Norman Jordan is one of the most published poets in the region. Born in 1938, his works have been anthologized in over 40 books of poetry. He was also a prominent voice in the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s and 70s. He died in 2015, put part of his legacy is the Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy in West Virginia.

Folkways Reporter Traci Phillips has the story.

The Music Of Osage

Aristotle Jones (right) and choir member Shelley Riley (left) singing “Oh, Happy Day” at the monthly choir meeting.

*Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Just across the Monongahela River from Morgantown, West Virginia, is a small unincorporated community called Osage. Years ago, it was a bustling, industrial town with a thriving nightlife. Today, Osage isn’t quite so bustling, but the love of music endures among its residents. Residents like musician Aristotle Jones.

Last year, Folkways Reporter Clara Haizlett brought us this story.

Holler, A Pipeline Story

Author Denali Sai Nalamalapu.

*Courtesy Photo*

The 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia took 10 years to complete. Author Denali Sai Nalamalapu was part of the protests to stop the pipeline. They have a new book, called HOLLER: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance. It’s written and drawn in comics form and profiles six activists who fought the pipeline.

Mason Adams spoke with Nalamalapu.

*Holler* follows the stories of a group of pipeline protesters.

*Courtesy Photo*

Preparing For Wildfires

Prof. Smithwick is an expert on wildfires and a member of Science Moms.

*Courtesy Photo*

Wildfires seem to be getting worse — not just out West, but here in Appalachia, too. Erica Smithwick is a professor and fire expert at Pennsylvania State University.

Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Smithwick about what causes wildfires and how people can prepare.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., The Carpenter Ants, Aristotle Jones, Morgan Wade, The Dirty River Boys and John Blissard.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our Executive Producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our Audio Mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways editors Clara Haizlett and Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and X @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Learning From California Wildfires And Local Impact Of Trump’s Cabinet, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, some cabinet nominees from President Donald Trump are flying a bit under the radar — and could affect West Virginia’s interests. And wildfires may be getting worse — even in Appalachia.

On this West Virginia Morning, some of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees who will affect West Virginia’s interests are flying a bit under the radar. Marshall University associate professor of political science Marybeth Beller spoke with Randy Yohe on her analysis of four Trump cabinet hopefuls and their potential relationship to the Mountain State.

And Los Angeles, California has been under siege from wildfires that have burned out tens of thousands of acres and claimed dozens of lives. Wildfires are common in California –and to our region. But they seem to be getting worse. Inside Appalachia’s Bill Lynch spoke with Penn State professor Dr. Ericka Smithwick, a fire expert, about the causes of wildfires and what communities might do to prepare.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Maria Young produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Kanawha County Commission Seeks Burn Ban Over Drought

As drought conditions become more severe in central West Virginia, some local officials have expressed concern for public safety and a desire for tighter regulations on firemaking.

On Monday, the Kanawha County Commission penned letters to Gov. Jim Justice and Jeremy Jones, director of the West Virginia Division of Forestry. In these letters, the commissioners requested a formal “burn ban” for the county, prohibiting man-made fires while drought conditions persist.

Similar bans are currently active in several other parts of the state, including Fayette, Nicholas and Wirt counties.

Commission President Lance Wheeler, Commissioner Ben Salango and Commissioner Marc Slotnick made the request because “the ongoing extreme drought” brought “dry vegetation and dry, brittle leaves on the ground,” according to a Tuesday press release.

Currently, Kanawha County is experiencing an “extreme drought” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

With little rain expected in the days ahead, the commission expressed concern that this would put the county at greater risk of wildfires, as residents could have less control over the spread of their burns.

“We implore people not to burn this week,” they wrote. The commission asked residents not to burn trash, and to ensure cigarettes “are completely out before disposal.”

This summer, sparse rainfall has brought challenges to agriculture across the state, leading Justice to declare a state of emergency for all 55 West Virginia counties in July.

In March, dry conditions and strong winds led to the spread of wildfires in the state’s Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands.

Under state law, outdoor burning is prohibited from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 during daytime hours due to increased wildfire risk.

But the governor and state forester can issue a burning ban to address environmental concerns outside that time period — a step that members of the commission are now urging state officials to take.

Encore: The Gatlinburg Fire Of 2016, Inside Appalachia

In 2016, a wildfire escaped the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It killed 14 people, injured dozens more and destroyed parts of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. We talk with an investigative journalist who has new information on the incident.

Also, four decades ago rice seeds from Laos crossed the ocean to California and made their way to a family of Hmong farmers in North Carolina.

And the Appalachian trail has been exhaustively hiked, explored and written about, but it’s still got a few secrets left.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

Investigating The Gatlinburg Fire Of 2016
The Sweet Sticky Rice Of Western North Carolina
Save The Salamanders!
An Appalachian Trail Mystery

Investigating The Gatlinburg Fire Of 2016

In 2016, a wildfire at Chimney Tops in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee spread beyond the park boundaries into the nearby tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. At least 14 people were killed. Many more were injured and thousands of residents and tourists had to be evacuated.

A new investigation revealed that National Park Service officials underestimated the severity of the wildfire and were slow to alert Tennessee officials about the danger.

Tyler Whetstone, an investigative reporter, spoke with Mason Adams about his reporting.

The Sweet Sticky Rice Of Western North Carolina

Tou Lee holds sweet sticky rice stalks in his rice field in Morganton, North Carolina.

Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

When you think of rice, you might not think of western North Carolina. But the area is home to several varieties of heirloom rice that made their way here from Laos nearly five decades ago. The rice was carried and cultivated by Hmong refugees.

One family now sells their rice at markets and to restaurants, and they’ve built a passionate following.

Folkways Reporter Rachel Moore has this story.

Save The Salamanders!

Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Have you ever heard of a West Virginia spring salamander? They’re a species found in the General Davis Cave in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, but there are only a few hundred left.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to put the West Virginia spring salamander on the endangered species list.

WVPB’s Curtis Tate spoke with Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.

An Appalachian Trail Mystery

The Appalachian Trail was completed in 1927. For 25 years, hikers took to the trail and traveled along the mountains from Georgia to Maine, but then the trail was moved. And the old trail was nearly forgotten.

Historian and podcaster Mills Kelly discovered the lost trail and wrote about it in his new book, Virginia’s Lost Appalachian Trail.

WMRA’s Chris Boros speaks to Kelly about rediscovering the trail.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by David Mayfield, Chris Knight, John Blissard, John Inghram, Eric Vincent Huey and Steve Earle.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and Twitter @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Rainfall Helps Contain Wildfires, But Problems Persist For Residents

Storms swept West Virginia on Tuesday, providing rainfall over wildfires in the eastern region of the state. Meanwhile, residents are still grappling with property damages on the ground.

Storms swept through West Virginia on Tuesday, knocking down trees and powerlines.

But the rainfall provided an unexpected benefit to communities in the Potomac Highlands and Eastern Panhandle: helping quash fires that have burned for days on end.

Emergency responders are continuing to monitor the region after extensive wildfires burned through more than 5,000 acres in late March.

All of the wildfires have since been contained, which means emergency responders have surrounded them to restrict their spread. But portions of the fire continue to burn, and smaller fires have popped up elsewhere in the state.

Now, the added rainfall has helped emergency responders gain further control over the wildfires, according to Assistant State Forester Linda Carnell.

“We’ve already got over an inch of rain,” she said. “Yes, there are hindrances to too much rain. But, in the long run, this will definitely help get the upper edge on all these fires.”

Still, Carnell said rainstorms are often followed by intense winds. That means residents should remain vigilant about fire safety protocol.

In the meantime, though, she said emergency responders are appreciative of the win.

“It’s a good thing. We’re happy for the rain,” Carnell said. “We definitely needed it.”

A large puddle on Shepherd University’s campus Tuesday following heavy rain. Rainstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday helped further contain wildfires in West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands and Eastern Panhandle.

*Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

While the wildfires have been contained, damages continue to affect residents on the ground.

Paul Lewis serves as director of emergency management for Hardy County, one of the areas most affected by the fires. He said the fires have caused significant structural damage, and displaced some residents from their homes.

“We’ve had some houses lost and those people right now are in one of the shelters trying to find a place to relocate,” he said. “There’s at least two families there.”

In addition to homes, several cabins and outbuildings have been destroyed by the flames, he said.

While county officials continue to monitor the situation locally, Lewis said that residents have coordinated with relief organizations to access additional support.

For example, the Catholic Charities of West Virginia has provided resources to residents in need. The Hardy County 4-H Camp, located in Wardensville, has also served as a temporary relief shelter for some residents, he said.

Additionally, Lewis said residents facing damage to their places of residence can contact The American Red Cross of the Greater Shenandoah Valley for further support.

Lewis said the county is still collecting data on the extent of structural damages and further updates will be provided in future.

For more information on wildfire incidents in West Virginia, visit the Division of Forestry’s Fire Report webpage.

Residents affected by the wildfires can contact the Central Appalachian Region of the American Red Cross for support.

W.Va. National Guard Deployed To Fight Wildfires In Hardy County

West Virginia National Guard personnel were deployed to Hardy County Friday. They have joined an effort to put out wildfires sweeping across eastern West Virginia and neighboring states.

The West Virginia National Guard has joined efforts to put out wildfires spreading across eastern West Virginia and neighboring states.

Two helicopters and several National Guard personnel were deployed to Hardy County on Friday.

They aim to assist the West Virginia Division of Forestry and other emergency response personnel in quenching the blazes.

The deployment of National Guard personnel follows Gov. Jim Justice’s state of emergency declaration Thursday afternoon.

The National Guard said more than 4,000 acres of land has burned as of Friday.

Helicopters in use by the National Guard can hold 630 gallons of water each, which personnel then disperse over wildfires from above. This helps target areas of the wildfires that are unsafe for emergency responders to approach on the ground.

“Our aircrews have extensive experience in helping to combat wildland fires,” said Bill Crane, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard in a press release Thursday.

“We will do all we can to help bring these fires under control to protect lives and property in the impacted communities,” he said.