(The Center Square) — Three Virginia lawmakers have introduced legislation that could be a lifeline to some rural Virginians in an emergency.
An unlikely trio most days, former House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., and Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, introduced the bicameral Blue Ridge Fire Safety Act of 2024 for the people of Wintergreen, Va. – an unincorporated community in Nelson County known mostly for its Wintergreen Resort.
Only a few hundred people live in the small community. Still, for more than 30 years, the Wintergreen Property Owners Association has been unable to secure approval from the National Park Service to build a 400-foot emergency gravel road connecting Wintergreen to the Blue Ridge Parkway, according to a press release from Good’s office.
The press release cited California’s 2017 Tubbs Fire and its 2018 Camp Fire, which together caused more than 100 deaths. At least some of the fatalities can be attributed to the six-lane highway in Calistoga, Calif., catching on fire and traffic jams when people were trying to escape. More than 100 people died in the wildfire that swept through Lahaina, Hawaii, in 2023 – in part because there were only a couple of ways to get out of town, according to the release.
“For too long, a National Park Service legal interpretation prevented the Wintergreen community from receiving the permission it needed to ensure the safety of its residents,” Good said in a statement. “Bureaucratic precedent must never compromise the safety of Americans, so I am glad that this bill can finally remedy that.”
“Currently there is only one road in and out of Wintergreen. This greatly hinders the ability of first responders to get into town, and impacts public safety for all residents,” Warner said. “This legislation would take the first step towards fixing this problem, making sure Wintergreen residents are not left in the lurch during serious emergency situations.”
