Wildfire at Kentucky’s Natural Bridge was started by arson, state officials say

The 125-acre wildfire which burned in and around Natural Bridge State Resort Park last week was human-caused, a state fire official said Wednesday.

The fire originated near the famous sandstone arch known as Natural Bridge and investigators visiting the scene determined the blaze was started by arson, said Michael Froelich, the fire management chief for the Kentucky Division of Forestry.

“We are still doing an investigation on suspects if we can find any,” Froelich said, adding that if anyone in the public might have information pertinent to the fire — which started on April 17 — they should reach out to the Division of Forestry at 1-800-27-ARSON.

While wildland fire does occur naturally in Kentucky, the majority of the state’s fires are started by humans.

Between 2010 and 2019, over 10,000 wildfires were recorded in the state. Nearly 65% of them were started by arson and about 22% were caused by debris burning, Division of Forestry data shows.

The Natural Bridge fire was first reported by a tourist around 8:30 p.m. April 17, a local fire department said. Over time, the fire impacted about 125 acres in the state park and in the surrounding Daniel Boone National Forest.

The area’s unique, cliff-filled topography was a challenge to the fire suppression efforts of the nearly 100 wildland firefighters who responded. Froelich said the blaze burned primarily as a “ground fire” as opposed to a “crown fire,” meaning the flames “stayed roughly down on the ground.”

“We did not have any kind of torching or anything like that that ran into the (tree) canopy like you see out West,” Froelich said.

Fire crews set varying containment lines to try to “box the fire in,” Froelich said, and were preparing for a fire that could reach over 200 acres. But a turn toward rain and more favorable firefighting conditions late last week gave crews the ability to contain the fire to the “primary box” of 125 acres.

The state park and trail system has been handed back over to park authorities who will complete their own evaluation and determine when to reopen, Froelich said.

So far this spring, over 600 fires have burned close to 12,000 acres which is an active but average season, Froelich said. The state’s official spring wildfire season ends Sunday but Froelich said there’s always still a risk.

Before doing any sort of outdoor burning, the division recommends the public check their local regulations and ordinances for burning, which can change based on the county and local weather conditions.