Wildfires, including one in Knoxville, continue to rage in extreme drought conditions
A 3-acre brush fire in Fountain City ‒ the latest in a string of almost daily wildfires breaking out amid extreme drought conditions ‒ was intentionally set, officials said Nov. 17 as Knoxville Fire Department crews brought that blaze under control.
The fire near Lynnhurst Cemetery and North Broadway, which started while Knox County remains under a burn ban, was under control quickly but sent out smoke that was visible for miles, Knoxville Fire Department spokesperson Mark Wilbanks told Knox News. A suspect is in custody
“Right now, with the weather that we've got going on, it is extremely dangerous (to intentionally set fires),” Wilbanks said. “These fires can spread really quickly and get into people's homes.”
Firefighting crews and responders are on high alert while East Tennessee faces a significant risk of wildfires.
“It's very labor intensive. We've got a lot of people out here right now working on this fire,” Wilbanks added.
East Tennessee has battled over 30 wildfires in recent days
A 5-acre wildfire that forced Dollywood to suspend entry for about 30 minutes Nov. 16 is now 100% contained, but still remained “active” Nov. 17, along with a 130-acre fire in Anderson County and three other active fires in East Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Forestry.
A few hours after the Pigeon Forge fire, brush fires in the Windrock Road, Frost Bottom Road and Stoney Flat areas in Anderson County were reported Nov. 16. The 130-acre fire in Anderson County was at 40% containment as of Nov. 17. No structures were in danger and no injuries had been reported.
"(The Department of) Forestry plans to implement some fire lines while still utilizing the natural fire breaks of the trails," Anderson County EMA Director Brice Kidwell said in a news release. "They do plan on back-burning at some point today, if the weather permits, so there could be an uptick in smoke.”
Other active fires included a massive 2,677-acre fire at 60% containment in Scott County, a 100-acre fire at 70% containment in Union County, a 7-acre fire at 100% containment in Sullivan County and a newly reported fire in Carter County.
The status of more than 25 wildfires in East Tennessee is listed as “contained” by the Tennessee Department of Forestry, meaning that a control line has been completed around the fire, stopping its spread.
Extreme drought puts East Tennessee at risk
Extremely dry vegetation and fallen leaves are contributing factors to the fires breaking out across the state. Showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms are in the forecast.
But predicted new rainfall amounts are only between a tenth and quarter of an inch. That's not enough to saturate the ground.
East Tennessee is in a period of “extreme drought,” according to the U.S. drought monitor. Drought conditions have worsened in recent weeks with nearly 75% of Tennessee now under extreme to exceptional drought conditions.
This is the driest period in the area since 2016 National Weather Service data shows, the same year the massive Chimney Tops and Gatlinburg fire occurred over Thanksgiving weekend, leaving 14 people dead and hundreds injured and displaced.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville wildfire rages amid Tennessee's extreme drought conditions
