Wednesday's fire is “about the same size as the 2011 fire”
The Madison Hockey League rink behind the American Legion building off Thrift Road was destroyed in one of at least 12 wildfires in Madison County Wednesday afternoon and evening. did.
All the fires appear to have started from “natural causes,” Madison County Volunteer Fire Department Chief Troy Copage said Wednesday night as he inspected the scene of the hockey rink fire.
“We believe the fire was caused by a power line hitting a tree. It doesn't appear to have been caused by stupidity,” Coppage said.
Slideshow: Madison Hockey Rink Fire. Photo and contribution by Chuck Jackson.
Dave Sisson, a former hockey league volunteer, said Wednesday's fire seemed “almost as bad as the Feb. 14, 2011 fire.”
At that time, the base of the rink was asphalt. Currently, rubber tiles are pasted on top of the asphalt. The fire destroyed the shed where all equipment and seats used by the players were stored, as well as extensive plastic side panels.
Approximately 20 percent of Link's tiles were also damaged and may have been destroyed.
Madison County Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Carpenter said the agency has insurance to cover fire damage.
He and Recreation Coordinator Lindsey von Herbulis had just come from a county planning commission workshop, where the two gave the first look at a new outdoor recreation complex that will include an adaptive playground, splash pad, tennis, pickleball and basketball. He added that he gave a presentation. courts, an 8-foot-wide flat asphalt walkway, and a new hockey rink.
This link is currently scheduled for the third phase of the project.
The county approved funds earlier this year to pay for an engineering and site plan study that was presented to commissioners Wednesday night. The county has also budgeted $700,000 for infrastructure installation (Phase 1), pending final approval later this spring.
A public hearing on the $3.2 million project will be held May 1.
Another county official said the fire jumped Thrift Road and reached the area near the Dollar General Store and Madison Learning Center on Main Street.
Officials said residents living in a trailer park east of the Legion property and students and staff at the learning center were evacuated as a safety precaution.
Law enforcement blocked off both ends of South Main Street, and the road remained closed for several hours with detours.
Coppage said firefighters were flying around the county as reports of the fire came in to the county's emergency communications center.
Other large and small fires occurred in Brightwood (Liller's Ford Road), Vanco (Weaver Hollow Road), Syria (Leathers Lane), the Etran area, and along Route 15 in the southeastern part of the county.
County government declared a local state of emergency at 3:52 p.m., and the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) was in a state of emergency along Virginia Route 231, including the Etran, Syria, and Poorhouse Road areas between Criglersville and Etran. It was announced that there would be a power outage in nearby areas. This is to prevent further fires from starting in the area. ”
Power was restored to these areas around 9 p.m., and REC personnel also followed up with fire brigades in the county to assess the damage and carry out repairs.
Madison County Sheriff Eric J. Weaver requested the assistance of all off-duty employees, including part-time court bailiffs.
In addition to his company, firefighters from Culpeper, Orange and Greene counties assisted in the fire rescue, Copage said, noting that those counties also had fires and incidents to respond to.
