Wildfire near Camp Wesley Woods in Townsend.
Wildfire near Camp Wesley Woods in Townsend.
Wildfire near Camp Wesley Woods in Townsend.
When you have John Erdman's job, hiking a mile above camp is precautionary. The director at Camp Wesley Woods in Townsend watched over 140 campers this week while a wildfire burned on a mountain nearby.
"I made sure I went up several times to look at the situation, said Erdman. "I went up this morning [Friday] and it is mostly just smoldering now. Just kind of blackened and smoldering."
Erdman took photos of the burned trees. Foresters believe 55 acres caught fire between the unfinished Foothills Parkway and Camp Wesley Woods.
"Part of it was on National Park Service land. They've been on their part of it and we've been working together to put the fire out," said Nathan Waters, Asst. District Forester.
Waters said lightning is to blame and the wildfire has now been extinguished.
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The lack of rain in recent weeks has forestry officials warning about the dangers of outdoor burning. Weather over the next week is predicted to be dry, with lower humidity's, resulting in a higher fire danger.
The Forestry Division issued the warning on Friday. They say that due to the extremely dry conditions, people should either put off outdoor burning, campfires, or fireworks altogether, or take extra precautions if they decided to do it.
There have been 5 fires in the East Tennessee area over the past four days, and two are still being watched. In Monroe County, a four acre fire near Lake Heights in Tellico Plains is being monitored. Officials say a large amount of debris from the tornado earlier this year is fueling that fire. Crews are also still fighting another fire, this one between the unfinished Foothills Parkway and Camp Wesley Woods near Townsend in Blount County. It's consumed about 55 acres so far, and is being monitored by State Division of Forestry crews and National Park Service crews, since it's so close to the Smokies.
There are currently no restrictions on outdoor burning, except in Knox County, where burn permits are always required.
Forestry officials want to remind property owners that they are liable for damages if a fire is started on their property and spreads.
If you do set a fire on your property, officials say you should make sure you have enough assistance/ equipment on hand, put a control line down to bare soil around your fire, and have tools and water handy. For a complete listing of state fire laws and safety tips, go to http://burnsafetn.org/, or call your local forestry office.