Madison County ratifies then rescinds local emergency and burn ban after Camp Rapidan wildfire

Madison County’s Board of Supervisors on March 22 ratified a local emergency after a wildfire near Camp Rapidan and later voted to rescind the declaration and lift the countywide burn ban once the fire was contained.

County staff member Weekley reported the fire, which staff estimated at “anywhere between 15 to 20 acres,” began near power lines at the base of Camp Rapidan and required mutual aid from state and local agencies. Weekley said the declaration of local emergency was necessary to notify the public, open funding avenues, and coordinate response: “Declaration…is required anytime for those emergencies,” he said.

Weekley thanked volunteers and partner agencies for the response, noted that Starlink connectivity aided the command post, and credited volunteer fire departments and dispatchers for their work during the incident. The board moved to ratify the declaration (resolution 2026-5) and approved the resolution.

Later in the meeting staff recommended rescinding the declaration and lifting the county burn ban because conditions and trigger metrics used by staff (including a local KDBI index) returned to acceptable levels; Weekley cautioned residents that state burn rules (for example, no open burning before 4 p.m. in some conditions) still apply. A supervisor moved to rescind the declaration and the burn ban and the board voted to rescind.

Board members spoke in support of first responders; the volunteer fire department liaison reported crews worked a difficult fire and praised their performance. Staff said if conditions change they would bring the burn ban back to the board for reconsideration.