On Friday, April 16, 2016, a 200-acre (81 ha) forest fire was first reported in Shenandoah National Park in the U.S. state of Virginia. The fire originated in the area around Rocky Mount, a mountain in the south district of the park, in a remote region south of Elkton, Virginia. The fire was west of Skyline Drive, the scenic byway that runs through the park. By April 17, the fire had spread to over 500 acres (200 ha), prompting closures of Skyline Drive from mile markers 65 at Swift Run Gap to 79 at . Additionally, more than a dozen hiking trails were closed, including a section of the Appalachian Trail. By Monday April 18, officials reported that the fire had spread to over 2,000 acres (810 ha) and that a Type 1 incident management team (highest priority) and several hotshot firefighting