At least four Arkansas wildfires were burning Tuesday afternoon in or near the Buffalo National River, scorching more than 1,700 acres of land since Sunday.
The fires consisted of two in Marion County and two in Searcy County. A fifth fire had been reported in Searcy County but was not yet located, said Caven Clark, a spokesman for the Buffalo National River.
The located fires had been contained by Tuesday, except for the “Blue Ribbon” fire near Gilbert in Searcy County, Clark said. That fire, which consumed 700 acres since Sunday, was threatening some structures but no homes, he said. Clark said the fire, which is outside the park boundary, was named after Blue Ribbon Road. Clark said 21 National Park Service firefighters were working to contain the fires Tuesday, along with firefighters from other agencies, including the Arkansas Forestry Commission.
By midday Tuesday, the two fires in Marion County had burned 975 acres, and the two fires in Searcy County had consumed 773 acres, Clark said. The largest of the fires began Sunday in an area of the Lower Buffalo Wilderness known as the “duckhead” because that’s what it resembles when looking at a map. That fire was limited to its 800-acre containment zone Tuesday, Clark said.
“It’s burning itself out,” he said. The closure of the the entire 2,687-acre “duckhead” portion of the Lower Buffalo Wilderness remained in effect Tuesday.
From the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette: https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2015/jan/21/fires-sear-1-700-acres-in-3-days-201501/?news-arkansas-nwa