Great Smoky Mountains Fire Remains 46 Acres, Uncontained

The Flint Gap Fire started on Aug. 26 by lightning, park officials said, in a remote part of the park that doesn’t generally see many visitors. (Courtesy: WVLT)

Great Smoky Mountains Fire Remains 46 Acres, Uncontained

Posted on September 17, 2024

GATLINBURG, Tenn.—The Flint Gap Fire is 46 acres as of the last estimate. Although the fire is presently 0% contained, only a few areas are actively burning within the perimeter. Once firefighter access and safety in this remote and steep terrain is addressed, a full suppression strategy will be executed.

The fire did not receive as much rain over the weekend as previously predicted; however, a local weather station did show that .34 inches fell on the fire this morning.

Yesterday, the fire responded to decreasing relative humidities, 10 mph winds and afternoon direct sunlight with some increased activity and additional smoke. The fire is currently backing through fingers of available fuels with flame lengths of 1-3 feet in some areas. Fire activity is primarily in areas with pockets of pine litter and near drainages.

Fire crews continue to develop options to mitigate safety concerns in order to transport firefighters and equipment safely to the backcountry. Crews are working to improve the existing Hannah Mountain Trail to allow for more efficient access to the fire, as well as the ability to rapidly extricate firefighters for medical or fire behavior purposes.

Visitors may see firefighters and firefighting equipment in the Abrams Creek area starting this week. While the campground remains open and there is no threat to the campground or any structures, the area is being used to stage some firefighting operations. There may be impacts in the form of noise, smoke, and short traffic delays for visitors. Resources on the fire include ground crews and a Type 3 helicopter. Park management and fire staff are ordering more resources and expect two additional crews to arrive this week.

The park received a report of the fire https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/wildland-fire-burning-near-hannah-mountain.htm near Hannah Mountain, south of Abrams Creek, the evening of Aug. 26. An investigation revealed several days later that the fire was started by lightning https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/flint-gap-fire-determined-to-be-caused-by-lightning.htm. No structures are threatened at this time.

Parson Branch Road as well as some park trails and backcountry campsites are currently closed due to fire activity. Check the park website for road closures https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.htm and other updates https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm before visiting. All fire updates are available on https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/newsreleases.htm

The Flint Gap Fire started on Aug. 26 by lightning, park officials said, in a remote part of the park that doesn’t generally see many visitors. (Courtesy: WVLT)

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Great Smoky Mountains Fire Remains 46 Acres, Uncontained

The Flint Gap Fire started on Aug. 26 by lightning, park officials said, in a remote part of the park that doesn’t generally see many visitors. (Courtesy: WVLT)

Great Smoky Mountains Fire Remains 46 Acres, Uncontained

Posted on September 17, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments

GATLINBURG, Tenn.—The Flint Gap Fire is 46 acres as of the last estimate. Although the fire is presently 0% contained, only a few areas are actively burning within the perimeter. Once firefighter access and safety in this remote and steep terrain is addressed, a full suppression strategy will be executed.

The fire did not receive as much rain over the weekend as previously predicted; however, a local weather station did show that .34 inches fell on the fire this morning.

Yesterday, the fire responded to decreasing relative humidities, 10 mph winds and afternoon direct sunlight with some increased activity and additional smoke. The fire is currently backing through fingers of available fuels with flame lengths of 1-3 feet in some areas. Fire activity is primarily in areas with pockets of pine litter and near drainages.

Fire crews continue to develop options to mitigate safety concerns in order to transport firefighters and equipment safely to the backcountry. Crews are working to improve the existing Hannah Mountain Trail to allow for more efficient access to the fire, as well as the ability to rapidly extricate firefighters for medical or fire behavior purposes.

Visitors may see firefighters and firefighting equipment in the Abrams Creek area starting this week. While the campground remains open and there is no threat to the campground or any structures, the area is being used to stage some firefighting operations. There may be impacts in the form of noise, smoke, and short traffic delays for visitors. Resources on the fire include ground crews and a Type 3 helicopter. Park management and fire staff are ordering more resources and expect two additional crews to arrive this week.

The park received a report of the fire https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/wildland-fire-burning-near-hannah-mountain.htm near Hannah Mountain, south of Abrams Creek, the evening of Aug. 26. An investigation revealed several days later that the fire was started by lightning https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/flint-gap-fire-determined-to-be-caused-by-lightning.htm. No structures are threatened at this time.

Parson Branch Road as well as some park trails and backcountry campsites are currently closed due to fire activity. Check the park website for road closures https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/conditions.htm and other updates https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm before visiting. All fire updates are available on https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/newsreleases.htm

The Flint Gap Fire started on Aug. 26 by lightning, park officials said, in a remote part of the park that doesn’t generally see many visitors. (Courtesy: WVLT)