Increased Fire Danger Leads to Campfire Ban in Backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Increased Fire Danger Leads to Campfire Ban in Backcountry of
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Posted: August 21, 2007

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced on August 21, 2007 a ban on campfires in the Park’s backcountry, effective immediately, due to extremely dry conditions and high fire danger. This restriction will be in effect until further notice.

The fire ban only applies to campers utilizing the Park’s 100+ backcountry sites and shelters. It does not affect campers at the Park’s 10 frontcountry (developed) campgrounds or picnickers using fire grills at picnic areas. Fires at developed areas must be confined to designated fire rings and grills.

In addition, all visitors are asked to take certain precautions to help reduce the risk of wildfires. After use, all cigarettes, cigars or pipes should be extinguished in areas cleared of vegetation or in ash trays and not thrown out of a car window. Visitors should extinguish frontcountry fires by mixing water with embers in fire rings and grills.

Currently, Park firefighters are monitoring a forest fire in a remote section of the Park in Sevier County. The fire is currently about 20 acres in size and is a low intensity ground fire which is burning in a mixed pine and hardwood forest. The fire, dubbed Big Medicine, is located on Davis Ridge about 4 miles southeast of Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and about 9 miles southeast of Townsend, Tenn. Because it is a naturally ignited fire and is miles from any structures and does not threaten either natural or culture resources Park managers are closely monitoring the fire activity. The fire apparently ignited by lightning during a thunderstorm that moved through the area last Thursday.

In addition, an August 5 natural-caused fire, Cattail 2, that was reported near Calderwood, Tenn., in Blount County burned 185 acres and is also being monitored by Park firefighters. The fire has almost completely burned out with a few hot spots remaining. The Park’s Fire Management Plan allows, where safe and feasible, natural fires to burn and to be managed for resource benefit.

Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said that "The burn restriction is being placed to reduce the potential for human-caused uncontrolled wild land fires to occur within the Park’s backcountry during this period of extreme fire danger and drought conditions. In addition, this action is implemented to support local, state and other federal land managers whose resources are being sent to assist with wildfires in the western U.S."