For a downloadable, printable version of this update, click here.
Incident Resources
10 crews, 39 engines, 7 helicopters,
2 tankers, 11 dozers, 7 water tender, 1 skidgine, 631 total personnel, 34,619
total acres
Initial Attack
Yesterday, on the three districts
of the Nantahala National Forest that the Blue Team has initial-attack
responsibility for—Cheoah, Tusquitee, and Nantahala—there were no new fire starts.
Crews remain positioned around the districts to respond to any new fires. They
are also regularly monitoring the twenty-three fires that are in patrol status
(see list below).
Camp Branch Fire (Macon County)
On Wednesday, when the fire was so
active and making a run up the east side of Wayah Bald, it spotted approximately
three-quarters of a mile to the north in the Ray Branch drainage. Because the
infrared flight was cancelled Wednesday night and rain likely tamped down smoke,
the spot fire was not detected until yesterday afternoon when an aerial
observer noticed it during a helicopter reconnaissance flight. The spot fire is
approximately 5 acres and is south of the Licklog Gap area, where crews are constructing
indirect fireline. Also during Wednesday’s run up Wayah Bald, the fire burned
the historic Wayah Bald Tower’s wooden roof and destroyed a private cabin.
Wednesday night’s precipitation
did have a moderating affect yesterday on fire behavior, which consisted
primarily of creeping and smoldering. Crews took advantage of the weather
working in their favor and made significant progress. The tree-felling crew
removed numerous hazard trees, particularly along Wayah Road (SR 1310). The
structure-protection group worked to secure private residences south of Wayah
Bald along Wayah Road and in Bear Cove. Crews constructed approximately a
quarter-mile of indirect handline. They also completed approximately 5 miles of
dozer line construction and existing road improvements.
Today, crews expect to complete indirect-fireline
construction. On the west side, the fireline extends from Forest Road (FR) 69
north to Rocky Bald Ridge and to FR 379B, eventually ending at Licklog Gap. On
the east side, the fireline goes north from Locust Tree Brach Road to Ray
Branch and then northwest to Licklog Gap. The structure-protection group will continue
to monitor private residences north of Wayah Road (SR 1310). Aerial support
will be available to firefighters on the ground should they need it.
Size: 1,363 acres Containment: 20 percent Start Date: November
22
Boteler Fire (Clay County)
Yesterday’s wetting rain will provide firefighters with one more day of
moderate fire behavior as they continue to mop up and maintain containment
lines. Although minimal smoke will be present in the fire’s interior, the
ground is holding significant heat, especially where rain was unable to
penetrate the leafy tree canopy. Crews will closely monitor an interior fire in
the Arch Ridge area north of the Mountain Meadows community.
Size: 9,036 acres Containment: 77
percent Start Date: October 25
Tellico Fire (Swain and Macon
Counties)
The
Tellico Fire’s containment lines have been tested several times and are
holding, and at 95-percent contained, the fire will be soon put into patrol
status. The eleven firefighters with four engines who remain assigned to the fire
are patrolling, mopping up, and blowing leaves off containment lines where
needed. They are also working with an incident resource advisor to identify
repair needs in areas affected by fire-suppression activities. Crews will begin
the repair work in the coming days.
Size:
13,874 acres Containment: 95
percent Start Date: November 3
Maple Springs and Old Roughy Fires
(Graham County)
Firefighters
continue to patrol and mop up containment lines. Crews are repairing areas
affected by fire-suppression activities. For example, where mineral soil is
exposed on handlines, they are raking it to create a rough surface, spreading
annual ryegrass seed, and raking leaves over the seed to act as mulch. The
short-lived grass will minimize erosion until native plants can get
reestablished.
Size: 7,788 acres Containment:
71 percent Start
Date: November 4
Fires in Patrol Status
The following fires are being
patrolled regularly to ensure containment lines are holding: Buck Creek (6
ac.), Falls (NA), Grape Cove (11 ac.), Moses Creek (30 ac.), Jones Gap (8 ac.),
Jarrett Knob (NA), Wine Spring (93 ac.), Mulberry (1 ac.), Moss Knob(7 ac.),
May Branch (175 ac.), Boardtree (0.5 ac.), Charley Creek (6 ac.), Nick (0.2
ac.), Ridge Gap (1 ac.), Ferebee (now Tellico), Cliffside (110 ac.), Whitewater
(23 ac.), Howard Gap (0.2 ac.), Knob (1,130 ac.), Muskrat (104 ac.), Bullpen (6
ac.), Jones Creek (1.3 ac), Cathey Gap (123 ac.), Dick’s Creek (729 ac.). .
Weather and Fire Behavior
A
high-pressure system slowly building eastward will be over the fire area this
weekend. Despite a drying trend, critical fire weather is unlikely as
cloudiness and mild temperatures are expected to prevail. This morning’s dense fog
is not likely to lift until late morning. The maximum temperature should be in
the low 60s with winds up to 11 mph and a minimum relative humidity in the 50s.
The incident meteorologist’s models are not showing significant precipitation
until early December.
Moderate
weather will correlate with moderate fire behavior. Firefighters are very
unlikely to experience the large, fast-moving flame fronts that they did on
Wednesday. However, as the sun dries grasses and downed leaves, twigs, and
branches on exposed southern slopes, fire activity could increase slightly in
those areas.
Closures
Macon County
·
Due to the
Camp Branch Fire, a segment of Wayah Road (SR 1310) is closed to through
traffic; residents who live in the closed section are allowed access to their
property. Westbound traffic is stopped at Enloe Farms. Eastbound traffic is being
stopped at the Wayah Bald Road junction. Northbound traffic on Crawford Road is being
turned around at the junction with Wayah Rd (SR 1310). The road will be reopened
as soon as travel safe for the public.
Nantahala National Forest
·
Forest
Road 711 is closed from Wayah Road (SR 1310) to Cold Springs Road (SR 1397).
The Dirty John Shooting Range is not accessible.
·
The Bartram
Trail is closed from Harrison Gap at FR 713 (Shingletree Road) west to
Nantahala Lake and from the trailhead at SR 106 to SR 1643 (Hickory Knoll
Road).
·
The following trails are closed:
Wesser Creek, Whitewater Falls, and Foothills
from SR 281 to the Bad Creek access.
·
An area
closure order (No. 08-11-09-17-02) for the Tusquitee Ranger District is in
effect for lands, trails, and roads in the area surrounding the Boteler Fire. To
view a map and complete list of closed roads and trails, go to tinyurl.com/zoq4lm8.
·
An area
closure order (No. 08-11-00-17-03) for the Tusquitee and Nantahala Ranger
Districts is in effect for lands, trails, and roads southeast of the Boteler
Fire. The closed area extends south from Highway 64 to the Georgia border and
includes the Southern Nantahala Wilderness. The Appalachian Trail is closed from
the Nantahala Outdoor Center south to the Georgia border. To view a map and
complete list of closed roads and trails, go to tinyurl.com/jmxv7dv.
Burning Restrictions
A total fire ban is in effect for the Nantahala and Pisgah
National Forests (www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd524246)
and for forty-seven western North Carolina counties (ncforestservice.gov/news_pubs/newsdesk_2016.htm#1121162).
Joint Information Center (JIC)
A JIC in Asheville is distributing
information about all western North Carolina wildfires. Email ncjicinformation @gmail.com, call 828-575-2840 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), or go to http://ncjic.blogspot.com.
Nearby Fires
The Rock Mountain Fire—which
originated in Georgia and is now south of Franklin, North Carolina, and west of
US Highway 23—is being managed by Pacific Northwest 3, a type 1 incident management
team. Fire information: 470-208-2866 and inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5100/.
Governor’s Reward
The North Carolina governor’s
office is offering a reward up to ten thousand dollars for information leading
to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for setting wildfires in the western
part of the state. Contact law enforcement if you have information.
For a downloadable, printable version of this map, click here.
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