Great Smoky Mountains National Park is conducting a prescribed burn Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Cades Cove, according to the park.
The park said between Nov. 6 through Dec. 20 they plan to burn approximately 660 acres of fields on the western end of Cades Cove with the help of the Appalachian-Piedmont-Coastal Zone fire management staff.
Monday, the park plans to burn the 230-acre cemetery-marsh unit near the Abrams Falls Trailhead.
Its entire plan includes the 185-acre old field, the 304-acre Tipton-Oliver field, the 87-acre cemetery marsh field, and the 90-acre Cable House field.
The park said they plan to conduct all 660 acres of the burns on three separate days. When those days will be, depends on the weather.
This seasonal burning is done to safely reduce the risk of wildfires and maintain wildlife diversity.
According to the park, visitors can expect to see firefighters and equipment along Hyatt Lane and the western end of the Cades Cove Loop Road. Roads and buildings will remain open, but some delays and temporary closures may occur to ensure public safety during burn operations, said the park.
We will update this story as we get more information of when the other burns will happen.