U.S. Navy photo by J. R. Tilley NSF Dahlgren firefighters use their ladder truck to focus an elevated master stream, flowing at about 1,000 gallons a minute, to soak the fire area and prevent a rekindle of Saturday's brush fire on the base.

Smoke from the fire was first reported just after 3 p.m., and Navy firefighters requested aid from surrounding fire departments because of the dense undergrowth and extreme flammable conditions attributed to the recent spate of hot weather and sparse rainfall.

Firefighters quickly contained the fire which charred three to five acres of pine forest bordered by Shock Tube Road in the northeast sector of the base. The fire was extinguished shortly after 7:30 p.m.

Altogether, the operation was supported by firefighters from King George County and Colonial Beach in Virginia, as well as Maryland fire brigades from Newburg, Bel Alton, Hughesville and LaPlata in Charles County.

Working in mid-afternoon 100-degree heat, the effort to contain the brush fire quickly exhausted firefighting teams. “We had a lot of folks on the scene, but we were having to rotate people constantly to avoid heat exhaustion,“ commented C. P. Miedzinski, fire chief for Naval Support Activity South Potomac.

One challenge was keeping the firefighters hydrated and fed. NSASP police assisted the firefighting operation, not only in establishing a secure perimeter, but also in delivering water and ice to the scene.

Sandwiches were donated by Subway at the King George Shopping Center in Dahlgren.

The fire did not damage any structures on NSF Dahlgren, and resulted in no injuries to firefighters or other base personnel. The cause of the fire is under investigation.