For a downloadable, printable version of this update, click here.
Incident Resources
11 crews, 44 engines, 5 helicopters,
13 dozers, 8 water tender, 1 skidgine, 701 total personnel, 35,402 total acres
Camp Branch Fire (Macon County)
Yesterday, firefighters had
another successful day conducting firing operations. The southwest corner has
nearly filled in with a nice underburn, and structures in along Forest Road 69
and in the Bear Cove area are secure. The firing group worked from Wayah Bald
along the Appalachian Trail (AT) north to Licklog Gap and then east toward Ray
Branch Creek. The firing operation created a buffer that will prevent the
fire’s spread west of the AT and north of DeWeese Branch Creek.
Today, firefighters will hold the
east side of the fire along Locust Tree Branch Road. On the west side, they
will hold the line from FR 69, across Rocky Bald Ridge to FR 379B, and north to
Licklog Gap. They will also continue protecting structures in Bear Cove and on
FR 69. Tonight, firefighters will work until midnight, and that will conclude
the night shift. It will be reinstated if changing conditions warrant.
Size: 2,146 acres Containment: 35 percent Start Date: November
22
Boteler Fire (Clay County)
Firefighters continue repairing
firelines, helispots, and roads damaged by fire-suppression activities. Suppression
repair work is approximately 40 percent complete on the Boteler Fire. Leaves
continue to drop at the lower elevations, increasing the likelihood of interior
reburns. Today’s up-to-35-mph winds could present a challenge to firefighters
today, particularly if new fires start.
Size: 9,036 acres Containment: 85 percent Start Date: October 25
Maple Springs (Graham County)
Approximately
75 percent of suppression repairs have been completed. Crews are working hard
to accomplish as much repair work as possible before predicted rains arrive.
Today, they will work along Forest Road 455 southwest to Naked Ground. They
will also remove hazard trees along FR 62.
Where the fire
burned within the steep, inaccessible Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area,
scooper planes dropped water on the fire’s edge, creating a wet line in lieu of
hand- or dozer-constructed fireline. Six areas of isolated interior heat were
detected during a recent infrared flight. They do not pose a threat to
containment, however, due to their location near natural barriers. As reconnaissance
and infrared flights report that heat is dissipating, the containment percentage
will gradually increase.
Size: 7,788 acres Containment:
78 percent Start
Date: November 4
Initial-Attack Group
No new fire starts were detected
yesterday in the Southern Area Blue Team’s initial-attack response area. Crews remain
positioned to respond to any new fires and are regularly monitoring fires in
patrol status (list below).
Suppression-Repair Group
Recent infrared flights have not
detected any heat within the perimeters of ten fires. As a result,
suppression-repair crews have begun restoring areas affected by
fire-suppression activities to prefire conditions. In some situations, repair involves
placing organic matter on the firelines, which would not happen if the
potential for
interior reburns remained. Fires
in repair status: Whitewater (23 ac.), Cliffside (110 ac.), Grape Cove (11 ac.),
Wine Spring (93 ac.), Knob (1,130 ac.), Moss Knob (7 ac.), Ridge Gap (1 ac.), Mulberry
(1 ac.), Boardtree (0.5 ac.), and Muskrat (104 ac.).
Patrol Group
As long as the potential for
interior reburns remains, firefighters are patrolling the following fires regularly
and keeping containment lines open and cleared of newly fallen leaves: Buck
Creek (6 ac.), Falls (NA), Moses Creek (30 ac.), Jones Gap (8 ac.), Jarrett
Knob (NA), May Branch (175 ac.), Charley Creek (6 ac.), Nick (0.2 ac.), Howard
Gap (0.2 ac.), Bullpen (6 ac.), Jones Creek (1.3 ac), Cathey Gap (123 ac.),
Dick’s Creek (729 ac.), and Tellico (13,874 ac.).
Weather and Fire Behavior
A strong disturbance will move
over the southeast states today. Because windy conditions will develop locally
ahead of this weather pattern, the incident meteorologist has issued a wind
advisory for this afternoon at elevations over 4,000 feet. South winds will be
very breezy, up to 25 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph. Smoke from the last two
days of firing operations never dissipated at lower elevations in the Franklin
area yesterday, but today’s strong south winds should clear the smoke out of
the area. Rain is forecasted for this evening, with an inch or more expected to
fall over 8–10 hours. A second rain event, which could bring another half inch
to one inch of rain to the area is predicted for Wednesday. Today’s temperatures
will likely climb into the 60s and the minimum relative humidity should be in
the 50s.
Today’s
strong winds could dry vegetation further and cause rapid surface spread of the
Camp Branch Fire or any new starts. Although some areas will be more sheltered
from winds, such as north of Wayah Bald and at the bottom of Wayah Road, fire
behavior of new starts moving upslope and exposed ridgetops could be very active.
Despite
rain forecasted for later today, the incident meteorologist strongly encouraged
firefighters at this morning’s operational briefing to “be prepared all day
long.” If rain materializes, fire
behavior will be minimal.
Closures
Macon County
·
A segment
of Wayah Road (SR 1310) near the Camp Branch Fire 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).
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 Foothills Trail from SR 281 to the Bad Creek access, the Wesser
Creek Trail, and the Whitewater Falls Trail are also closed.
·
An area closure order (No.
08-11-02-17-01) for the Cheoah Ranger District is in effect for lands,
trails, and roads in the area surrounding the Maple Springs Fire including the
Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area. To view a map and complete list of
closed roads and trails, go to bit.ly/2fDZuqt.
·
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 bit.ly/2fArtYf.
·
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 bit.ly/2g1iPm1.
Burning Restrictions
A total fire ban is in effect for the Nantahala and Pisgah
National Forests (bit.ly/2fikSmG)
and for forty-seven western North Carolina counties (bit.ly/2gIBVyt).
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 can be obtained at 470-208-2866 and inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5100/.
Arson Reporting
North Carolina is offering a
reward up to $10,000 to be issued to anyone who provides information leading to
the arrest and conviction of those responsible for setting wildfires in western
North Carolina. Anyone having information concerning these wildfires should
contact Macon County Crimestoppers at 828-349-2600 or Jackson County
Crimestoppers at 828-631-1125.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is
also seeking information regarding arson fires on Indian Lands of North
Carolina through the WeTip Program. Up to $10,000 is being offered through this
anonymous program. WeTip can be contacted through its website wetip.com or by calling its hotline 800-47-ARSON
(800-472-7766).
For a downloadable, printable version of this map, click here.
For a downloadable, printable version of this map, click here.
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