Quick Facts: Wildfire on the Appalachian Trail
On May 9, 2011 a wildfire broke out near the Appalachian Trail just south of Bear Mountain in Salisbury, Connecticut. Within only about two days, the fire had been extinguished in a cooperative effort between fire departments from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. Trails of Freedom Chief Researcher, Justin Coleman, visited the site of the fire damage to survey how much forest was lost, what the area looks like now, and convey an important message about obeying trail rules. (NOTE: In order to give everyone a better grasp on exactly where the fires broke, we've cited the location as that of the Mt. Riga shelter. However, investigations have revealed the source of the fire may actually have been nearby Ball Brook campsite less than a half-mile away.)
