GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Update (9/13): The Flint Gap Fire is now estimated to be 46 acres, according to the National Park Service.
The wildfire is burning slowly in a remote area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The fire is presently 0% contained, but few areas are actively burning and only low flames were visible throughout the week, NPS said.
Resources on the fire include ground crews and a Type 3 helicopter. Park and fire staff are ordering more resources, however, a lot are currently being used on stronger wildfires in the west of the United States.
Parson Branch Road and some park trails and backcountry campsites are currently closed due to wildfire activity.
Previous (9/11):
The Flint Gap Fire continues to burn slowly in a remote area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The National Park Service said the fire is estimated to be roughly 28 acres and is not contained. The fire, which was caused by lightning on Aug. 26, has grown minimally over the last several days due to weather conditions, according to NPS.
Rain is expected this weekend which will likely slow but not extinguish the fire, NPS said.
The park said management and the fire incident management team are implementing a strategy to safely and effectively suppress the fire.
Resources to putting out the fire includes ground crews and a Type 3 helicopter, according to the park. They said crews are monitoring the fire and working to identify areas where they can safely contain it.
No structures have been reported threatened at this time.
Parson Branch Road along with some park trail and backcountry campsites are closed at this time due to the fire.
