Update as of Friday, November 10, 2023:
A wildfire first spotted Wednesday spread to 80 acres and is 5 percent contained as of this afternoon.
Significant progress has been made, with fire lines secured. Two road closures are in effect due to the fire, Big-Little Clefty Road and Meadow Creek Road. Those closures are expected to continue for at least 72 hours.
James Heaton, Public Information Officer with the Cherokee National Forest Service, said that the fire was first discovered inside Cocke County. Heaton said that investigators believe the fire to be human caused.
Two helicopters were used to help battle the fire. Heaton said each water drop consists of 1,000 gallons. In addition, Heaton said that three bulldozers and two fire engines were used. Heaton said that two HotShot groups of twenty-five firefighters each were called in. A total of around 60 personnel were working the fire.
Dry conditions are expected to continue for the next few days, and considerable efforts are being made to keep the fire from spreading. Heaton said that two structures on Tweed Springs Road were threatened and efforts are being made to protect them as the fire grows. Heaton urged residents along that area to be vigilant and keep an eye on conditions.
Firefighters assigned and assisting the Cherokee National Forest are currently looking to control three other wildfires.
-Buck Bald – Burning in the Cherokee National Forest in Polk County, 3 miles north of Farner, the 350-acre wildfire is 50 percent contained. No structures are immediately threatened by this fire. The Forest Service is aided by crews from Americorps, the Bureau of Land Management, and out of state firefighters. The cause of this wildfire is being investigated as arson.
-Bullet – Burning in the Cherokee National Forest in Monroe County, 5 miles southeast of Etowah, the 103-acre wildfire is 20 percent contained. The fire is burning in steep inaccessible terrain and fire crews are using indirect tactics to control fire spread. Current fire activity is minimal. Firefighters from Mount Vernon VFD, Conasauga VFD and Tennessee Division of Forestry assisted with structure protection in the immediate area of the wildfire. The cause of this wildfire remains under investigation.
-Hogum Hollow – This fire 2 miles southwest of Roan Mountain is now contained. Tennessee Division of Forestry and Cherokee National Forest resources continue to monitor this area.
The US Forest Service is restricting backcountry fires to designated fire rings, grills, or gas stoves effective immediately to reduce the potential for more wildfires. This order is consistent with the National Park Service and neighboring National Forests.
“We have crews marking trail closures and reroutes, but this is a dynamic situation with frequent access interruptions to roads and trails,” said Stephanie Bland, deputy forest supervisor. “We ask the public to please avoid these areas and let our firefighters and our partners do their work to control the spread of these fires.”
The Cherokee National Forest spans 10 counties across the Tennessee border with multiple states with various levels of fire danger and restrictions. Fire restriction changes on the Cherokee National Forest will be posted at the Supervisor and District Ranger’s Office along with the Cherokee National Forest’s website https://www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeNF/.
