Asheville, NC - December 9, 2016 - All fires in western North Carolina are 100 percent contained except the Rock Mountain Fire which is 95 percent contained.
The Appalachian Trail from Deep Gap to the Nantahala River is now open. The Appalachian Trail remains closed from the Georgia state line to Deep Gap.
The only other remaining fire-related closure is on the Nantahala Ranger District. Whitewater Falls and the Foothills trail that connects to Whitewater Falls is closed.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
12/06/16 - Supplemental JIC Summary - Thank You - 3:00pm
For a downloadable, printable version of this update, click here.
This is a
supplemental update to the fires in North Carolina. All the fires are at 100%
containment, with the exception of the Camp Branch and Rock Mountain. All fires are at various stages of mop up and
suppression repair. A Burned Area
Emergency Repair, BAER, team has arrived and started their assessment of repair
needs and developing plans for the fire areas.
Excess resources have moved to other fires in the southern region or are
making their way back to their home units for much-needed rest.
Thank you!
The U.S. Forest
Service would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the communities in
Western North Carolina that were affected by the fires. Your support of the thousands of firefighters
and support staff, many from across the nation, was friendly, thoughtful,
caring and generous. The hospitality and
kindness shown by the people in the communities, from meals at Thanksgiving, to
supplies and signs on the side of the road, were touching.
Fires Update
All fires in Western North Carolina are at
100% containment, except Camp Branch and Rock Mountain Fires, which remain active
at this time.
UPDATES ON ACTIVE
FIRES OR FIRE COMPLEXES
Only those fires being actively managed and staffed
are included in the Evening Summary.
CAMP BRANCH FIRE (USFS –
OTTO, MACON COUNTY)
Nantahala Branch
Due to the rain, containment
efforts have been on hold until conditions allow for a safe return to the fire
lines. Fire crews will continue to mop
up and secure containment line, moving to 100% containment. As trees are downed by strong winds and rain,
firefighters will clear downed trees off roads, such as Wayah Road (SR 1310),
Forest Road 711 and Locust Tree Branch Road. Firefighters remain positioned to
respond to any new fire starts.
Acreage: 3,422 – Containment: 85% – Personnel: 211 – Start Date:
November 23
ROCK MOUNTAIN FIRE (USFS –
SOUTHERN NANTAHALA WILDERNESS AREA, NORTH GEORGIA AND CLAY AND MACON COUNTIES
IN NC)
As
with the Camp Branch fire, containment efforts have been on hold due to the
rain until conditions allow for a safe return to the fire lines. Fire crews will continue to mop up and secure
containment line, moving to 100% containment.
Crews will continue
repair work with resource advisers along the fire's northern perimeter. They
will also continue to patrol the fireline.
Acreage: 24,725—
Containment: 95% — Personnel: 137 — Start Date: November 9
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5100/#
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5100/#
BAER
Team
The National Forests in North Carolina assembled a
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment team the end of November 2016,
to analyze post-fire condition of burned watersheds and to plan emergency
stabilization treatments for the western North Carolina wildfires.
The BAER team is compiling reports that will identify
immediate and emergency actions to address post-fire risks to people, property,
and cultural and natural resources. Wildfire can increase the risk of flooding,
erosion, and sedimentation. Other potential hazards include debris flow,
reduced water quality, invasive plants, or falling trees and rocks. The BAER
team report will contain an assessment of watershed pre- and post-fire
response, areas of concern, values-at-risk, and recommended short-term
emergency stabilization treatments.
OTHER PERTINENT
LINKS
Nantahala National Forest Closures
Chattahoochee-Oconee
National Forests (relative to the ROCK MOUNTAIN FIRE)
Appalachian Trail (A.T.)
Monday, December 5, 2016
12/05/16 - Information about fire repair - Burned Area Emergency Response Blog
The National Forests in North Carolina have published a blog about the Burned Area Emergency Response team, BAER, that is being deployed to the national forests that are affected by the fires.
The blog can be found at ncbaer.blogspot.com - or click here.
The BAER blog will be updated as additional plans and details are developed.
The blog can be found at ncbaer.blogspot.com - or click here.
The BAER blog will be updated as additional plans and details are developed.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
12/04/16 - Nantahala Ranger District to open roads, trails - 3:00pm
For a downloadable, printable version of this update, click here.
Nantahala Ranger
District to open
roads, trails
Appalachian Trail
remains closed
The only area closure in effect is the blackened fire footprint of the Rock Mountain Fire which is south of Standing Indian Campground, west of Forest Service Road 67 and east of Forest Service Road 7219.
The following closures remain in place in the Nantahala Ranger District and the Chattahoochee- Oconee National Forest:
Appalachian Trail from Dicks Creek Gap/U.S. 76 in Georgia to Mooney Gap in North Carolina.
Up-to-date information can be found on the Appalachian Trail Updates page at
Appalachiantrail.org/trailupdates.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
12/03/16 - JIC Fire Summary - 5:00pm Final Update
For a downloadable, printable version of this update, click here.
This is the final
summary on active fires in North Carolina. Fires listed in this summary are at
or near 100% containment, they are also at various stages of mop up and
suppression repair. Excess resources have
moved to other fires in the southern region or are making their way back to
their home units for much-needed rest. As incident management teams move toward
finalizing closeout procedures, they will be turning over the final suppression
repair tasks to smaller teams or local units.
The North Carolina
Joint Information Center blog remains a record of all the releases that have
been posted since November 13, 2016 when the blog originated on the internet.
Viewers can reference historical blog posts by the agencies’ releases, burn
bans, donations, arson reporting, fire prevention education and media
information as well as Tennessee Fires Information. Historical and current
links are available on the Joint Information Center blog at http://ncjic.blogspot.com/ under the following
tabs:
|
|
ROADS AND TRAILS
UPDATE
USFS – CHEOAH RANGER DISTRICT (GRAHAM AND SWAIN COUNTIES)
The
following areas are now open:
· Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness
· National Forest System lands south
of Caulderwood lake, and west of US 129 to Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness
boundary
· National Forest System lands west
of State Road 1127, east of Cherohala Skyway (NC 143), and north of Santeelah
Creek Rd (NFSR 81) to Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness boundary
CLICK HERE to view the roads and trails that are now open as
listed on the original Emergency Closure Order #08-11-02-17-01.
CLICK HERE to view the Termination
of Emergency Closure Order #08-11-02-17-01 Cheoah Ranger District.
USFS
– NANTAHALA RANGER DISTRICT (MACON, JACKSON AND SWAIN COUNTIES)
All road closures on the Nantahala Ranger
District have been lifted except FS Road 83 (Bald Creek Road) and FS Road 67 (Standing
Indian Road).
Effective 1:00 A.M. Monday morning 12/05/16,
the closure on FS Road 83 and FS Road 67 will be lifted. The only area closure
will be the blackened, fire footprint on the Rocky Mountain Fire which is south
of Standing Indian Campground, west of FS Road 67 and east of FS Road 7219.
Currently all trail closures are lifted on
the Nantahala Ranger District except for the Appalachian Trail from the GA/NC
line north to Mooney Gap.
UPDATES ON ACTIVE
FIRES OR FIRE COMPLEXES
Only those fires being actively managed and staffed
are included in the Evening Summary.
Boteler
Fire, MAPLE SPRINGS AND NANTAHALA BRANCH FIRES (USFS—CHUNKY GAL AREA, Clay
County)
The Southern Area Blue Team is assigned management of the Boteler Fire, Maple Springs Fire and the Nantahala Branch Fires. Under this branch, Camp Branch Fire is active. The fires being patrolled/monitored are: Tellico Fire, Old Roughy Fire, Buck Creek Fire, Falls Fire, Grape Cove Fire, Moses Creek Fire, Jones Gap Fire, Jarrett Knob Fire, Wine Spring Fire, Mulberry Fire, Moss Knob Fire, May Branch Fire, Boardtree Fire, Charley Creek Fire, Nick Fire, Ridge Gap Fire, Ferebee Fire, Cliffside Fire, Whitewater Fire, Howard Gap Fire, Knob Fire, Muskrat Fire, Bullpen Fire, Jones Creek Fire, Cathey Gap Fire, Dick’s Creek Fire.
The Southern Area Blue Team is assigned management of the Boteler Fire, Maple Springs Fire and the Nantahala Branch Fires. Under this branch, Camp Branch Fire is active. The fires being patrolled/monitored are: Tellico Fire, Old Roughy Fire, Buck Creek Fire, Falls Fire, Grape Cove Fire, Moses Creek Fire, Jones Gap Fire, Jarrett Knob Fire, Wine Spring Fire, Mulberry Fire, Moss Knob Fire, May Branch Fire, Boardtree Fire, Charley Creek Fire, Nick Fire, Ridge Gap Fire, Ferebee Fire, Cliffside Fire, Whitewater Fire, Howard Gap Fire, Knob Fire, Muskrat Fire, Bullpen Fire, Jones Creek Fire, Cathey Gap Fire, Dick’s Creek Fire.
Today at 6:00 P.M., the Southern
Area Blue Team will transfer management of all fires to a smaller incident
management team (under Type 3 Incident Commander Kyle Smith).
·
BOTELER
FIRE (USFS – CHUNKY GAL AREA, CLAY COUNTY)
Acreage: 9,036— Containment:
100% — Personnel: 117 – Start Date: October 25
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5075/
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5075/
·
MAPLE SPRINGS FIRE (USFS—LAKE SANTEELAH AREA, GRAHAM COUNTY)
Acreage: 7,788 —
Containment: 100% — Personnel:
1 — Start Date: November 4
·
CAMP
BRANCH FIRE (USFS – OTTO, MACON COUNTY)
Nantahala Branch
Fire crews continue to mop up and secure containment line. As trees are
downed by strong winds, firefighters will clear downed trees off roads, such as
Wayah Road (SR 1310), Forest Road 711 and Locust Tree Branch Road. Firefighters
remain positioned to respond to any new fire starts.
Acreage: 3,422 – Containment: 85% – Personnel: 220 – Start Date:
November 23
ROCK MOUNTAIN FIRE (USFS –
SOUTHERN NANTAHALA WILDERNESS AREA, NORTH GEORGIA AND CLAY AND MACON COUNTIES
IN NC)
Crews
continue repair work with resource advisers along the fire's northern
perimeter. They will also continue to patrol the fireline. Operations will
focus on critical areas before rain reaches the region on Sunday.
Acreage: 24,725—
Containment: 91% — Personnel: 288 — Start Date: November 9
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5100/#
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5100/#
PINNACLE MOUNTAIN FIRE (SCFS / USFS – PICKENS
AND TRANSYLVANIA COUNTIES)
Fire crews
resumed mop up efforts and continued improving the Table Rock State Park trail
system. Line improvement and mop up operations will likely continue for weeks.
Acreage: 10,645 — Containment: 92% — Personnel:
96 — Start Date: November 9
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5108/
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5108/
Media Advisory:
For all information about the Pinnacle Mountain Fire and the ongoing response
in South Carolina, all media should contact the Pinnacle Mountain Joint
Information Center at (864) 898-2437 or pmfjic@gmail.com.
OTHER PERTINENT LINKS
Nantahala National Forest Closures
Chattahoochee-Oconee
National Forests (relative to the ROCK MOUNTAIN FIRE)
Appalachian Trail (A.T.)
12/03/16 - Chimney Top 2 and Cobbly Knob Fires - 11:45am Update
For a link directly to this update, click here.
Today's Update for the Chimney Tops 2 and Cobbly Nob Fires.... #chimneytops2fire #cobblynobfire
Incident Summary:
The Chimney Tops 2 Fire was reported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, TN on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at approximately 5:20 p.m. The wildfire began burning in a remote location (Chimney Tops) of the park in steep terrain with vertical cliffs and narrow rocky ridges making access to the wildfire area difficult for firefighting efforts. On Monday, November 27th, the exceptional drought conditions and extreme winds caused the wildfire to grow rapidly, causing numerous new wildfire starts from embers carried miles away and downed powerlines in and adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The wildfire was determined to be human-caused and is currently under investigation.
To date, there are 13 confirmed fatalities. Twelve were caused directly by the fire; one was a heart attack that occurred while the victim was fleeing from fire. Over 80 individuals sustained injuries, and more than 875 structures were destroyed.
Chimney Tops 2 Fire is currently burning in brush, hardwood slash, and leaf litter. Fire crews continue to mitigate hazards and secure the fire perimeter. The Southern Area Red Team will support State and Park efforts, if there are any new fires. “We have resources ready to assist those requests,” said Stephen Weaver, Operations Section Chief. The priorities are: 1) public and responder safety 2) structure protection and 3) limiting the fire spread. Fire crews and TN Department of Transportation crews will be working on U.S. 441, locally known as The Spur, to keep it open for emergency traffic. The Tennessee Division of Forestry is integral in assisting our crews in forested areas outside of the park. Aircraft will be overhead today to assist with suppression efforts.
The Cobbly Nob Fire is burning to the east of the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. Active flames may be seen during the heat of the day, but minimal fire spread is expected.
Safety is still a large concern even though fire activity has diminished. “I encourage everyone to manage their risk by evaluating the known hazards and mitigating them,” Dave Vitwar, Safety Officer, reminded firefighters during morning briefing. “We are working with weakened trees, downed power lines, steep terrain, aircraft, and traffic to name a few.” The community should be aware that emergency vehicles and personnel may be working in areas open to the public.
Chimney Tops 2
Fire: Size: 17,109 acre Containment: 25% Start Date: November 23
Cobbly Nob Fire:
Size: 750 acres Containment: 13% Start Date: November 28
Incident Resources:
19 crews, 47 engines, 6 helicopters, 5 dozers, 605 total personnel
19 crews, 47 engines, 6 helicopters, 5 dozers, 605 total personnel
Weather:
Moisture and clouds will increase through the day as the next low pressure system begins pushing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico back into the area. High temperatures will be in the upper 40s to low 50s with minimum relative humidity between 42% and 46%. Winds will be northeasterly at 5 to 8 mph.
Road and Trail Closure Status:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• The National Park is closed from the Gatlinburg Entrance to Smokemont near Oconaluftee (US 441, Newfound Gap) and Little River Road from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Metcalf Bottoms. The Gatlinburg ByPass is also closed.
• The Spur (runs between Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg) is open only from Pigeon Forge to the Gatlinburg Welcome Center. There will be no access to Wiley Oakley, Beech Branch, or Westgate from the Spur. To access these areas, it is important to follow check point protocols because there is only one check point access at East Parkway (Hwy. 321) at Glades Road and the Post Office.
• The National Park is closed from the Gatlinburg Entrance to Smokemont near Oconaluftee (US 441, Newfound Gap) and Little River Road from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Metcalf Bottoms. The Gatlinburg ByPass is also closed.
• The Spur (runs between Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg) is open only from Pigeon Forge to the Gatlinburg Welcome Center. There will be no access to Wiley Oakley, Beech Branch, or Westgate from the Spur. To access these areas, it is important to follow check point protocols because there is only one check point access at East Parkway (Hwy. 321) at Glades Road and the Post Office.
Areas closed for the public visitation:
o Wiley Oakley (Critical utility work will be done in the area.)
The following roads and areas will be opened by noon, December 3rd, , however, the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. time frame of limited access still remains in effect for previously permitted areas:
• East Parkway (east of the post office) opens at 10 a.m.
• Walker Trail
• Beech Branch
• Hwy. 321 east of the checkpoint is open to the public
People are reminded to bring valid forms of identification showing their name and address of their residence or business inside Gatlinburg. Officials will verify renters and lease Holders as needed.
o Wiley Oakley (Critical utility work will be done in the area.)
The following roads and areas will be opened by noon, December 3rd, , however, the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. time frame of limited access still remains in effect for previously permitted areas:
• East Parkway (east of the post office) opens at 10 a.m.
• Walker Trail
• Beech Branch
• Hwy. 321 east of the checkpoint is open to the public
People are reminded to bring valid forms of identification showing their name and address of their residence or business inside Gatlinburg. Officials will verify renters and lease Holders as needed.
For a downloadable, printable version of this map, click here.
For a downloadable, printable version of this map, click here.
12/03/16 - 7 Day Significant Fire Potential Map - Southern Area
Southern Area 7 Day Significant Fire Potential Map, December 3, 2016
In order to help managers and firefighters plan and prepare for fire response the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Predictive Services office issues fire outlooks for each geographic area on a regular basis. The latest 7 day significant fire potential map for the southern area was issued this morning. This map shows that the risk for significant wildfires has decreased in much of the region.
For a downloadable, printable version of this map click here
In order to help managers and firefighters plan and prepare for fire response the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) Predictive Services office issues fire outlooks for each geographic area on a regular basis. The latest 7 day significant fire potential map for the southern area was issued this morning. This map shows that the risk for significant wildfires has decreased in much of the region.
For a downloadable, printable version of this map click here
12/3/16 Updated Drought Monitor
Updated U.S. Drought Monitor showing how the drought developed over the Southern Area.
Despite the amount of rain received, we still need measurable amounts of moisture to decrease the drought level.
Please understand that FIRE DANGER REMAINS HIGH.
Stay informed about current burn bans in your area. Visit our Burn Ban tab (click here) for more information.
Despite the amount of rain received, we still need measurable amounts of moisture to decrease the drought level.
Please understand that FIRE DANGER REMAINS HIGH.
Stay informed about current burn bans in your area. Visit our Burn Ban tab (click here) for more information.
12/3/2016 Termination of Emergency Closure Order #08-11-02-17-01 Cheoah Ranger District
For a downloadable, printable PDF version of the Emergency Closure Order Termination, click here
The Emergency Closure Order #08-11-02-17-01 has been lifted, and the following areas on the Cheoah Ranger District in Nantahala National Forest are now open:
The Emergency Closure Order #08-11-02-17-01 has been lifted, and the following areas on the Cheoah Ranger District in Nantahala National Forest are now open:
- Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness
- National Forest System lands south of Caulderwood lake, and west of US 129 to Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness boundary
- National Forest System lands west of State Road 1127, east of Cherohala Skyway (NC 143), and north of Santeelah Creek Rd (NFSR 81) to Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness boundary
For information on specific roads and trails that are now open, please view the original Emergency Closure Order PDF here
12/03/16 - Pinnacle Fire - 9:00am Update
| |||||||
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)