COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE (May 1, 9:30 p.m.): Officials said that the Mill Creek Fire had been 90% contained as of Saturday night. It remained at 657 acres and transition from a Type 3 incident to a Type 4, according to a release.
Fire crews were working with repair operations to mitigate the impact of containment lines built to prevent the fire from spreading. Those efforts include seeding native grasses and creating water bars.
Crews are also monitoring for potential hotspots, according to officials.
Stone Mountain Trail will still be closed from Mills Creek to Hall Top for firefighter and visitor safety.
UPDATE (April 29, 1 p.m.): Firefighting crews are beginning to dial back efforts, saying the Mill Creek fire is dying down and expected to be out by the end of the weekend.
Several volunteer crews have been pulled from the scene as state and national forestry crews continue efforts to fully contain the fire.
The 657-acre fire is now 75% contained and no longer threatening residences or the I-40 Welcome Center.
The U.S. Forestry Service said it now believes the fire was human-caused.
UPDATE (April 28, 11 p.m.): The Tennessee Department of Agriculture said that the Mill Creek fire is 657 acres large and 75% contained as of Wednesday.
The Residential and I-40 Welcome Center are no longer threatened by the fire, officials said.
Officials said that for firefighter and visitor safety, Stone Mountain Trail (#9) will be temporarily closed from Mills Creek to Hall Top.
On Wednesday, fire crews continued burnout operations within the perimeter of the fire to secure the containment lines around the fire.
The public should be aware of the potential for smoke to settle in the area.
Visitors are reminded to use caution when driving in the area due to increased firefighter traffic along this portion of I-40.
On Thursday, crews will patrol and monitor all containment lines.
Minimal fire activity is expected with creeping and smoldering fire inside the perimeter.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected Thursday afternoon and evening, which should further cool interior fire perimeter heat further easing control measures on Friday, officials said.
The fire continues to be managed jointly by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF) and the USDA Forest Service Cherokee National Forest.
UPDATE (April 28, 3:30 p.m.): The Tennessee Department of Agriculture said that the Mill Creek fire was still 640 acres large and 50% contained Wednesday afternoon.
They said that 31 structures were threatened, including residential areas and the I-40 Welcome Center. The Stone Mountain Trail was also temporarily closed from Mills Creek to Hall Top.
They said they expected to fire not to be active Wednesday after crews conducted controlled burnings and established containment lines. Officials aid tey would monitor for hot sports, slop-overs and other dangerous situations.
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UPDATE (April 27, 9:30 p.m.): Officials said that Mill Creek Fire in Cocke County was around 640 acres large Tuesday night and that it was around 50% contained.
They said crews conducted burning operations on the northwestern side of the fire to prevent it from spreading further, reinforcing containment lines. They warned that smoke could settle in the area overnight, potentially causing difficulty breathing for some people.
They also announced that Stone Mountain Trail would be temporarily closed from Mills Creek to Hall Top.
Officials also said they spotted a new wildfire in the southern part of Cherokee National Forest, off Joe Brown Highway. They said the Coker fire was around 17 acres large and 20 percent contained, but also said it was in a remote area.
Firefighters secured a containment line around the fire Tuesday night, and officials said no structures were threatened.
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UPDATE (April 27): Officials with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture said that burnout operations began behind the I-40 Welcome Center, in order to protect the building and contain the Mill Creek fire.
They said crews used dozers to build a containment line, trying to ensure the fire will not spread past it. It creates a break in the fuel available for the fire, and crews started burning areas around the containment line to burn through fuel before the fire could use it to spread further.
They also urged people not to fly drones or any other unmanned aerial system over or near the wildfire. The drones can interfere with efforts to extinguish the fire, endangering the lives of pilots and firefighters.
Officials said the 263-acre fire was 25% contained on Monday.
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Crews continue to battle the Mill Creek fire in Cherokee National Forest near I-40 on Monday. The fire began Thursday afternoon.
The USDA said crews will be conducting burnout operations Tuesday in the perimeter to secure containment lines on the northwestern side. Aircraft will be assisting.
As of Monday, officials said that the fire is still around 263-acres large and 25% contained.
The department said 30 structures threatened including residential homes and I-40 Welcome Center.
According to the department, the fire is burning close to Exit 7. The Division of Forestry will continue to establish containment lines throughout the day.
State and national forestry crews worked to protect structures and reinforce containment lines, and helicopters were working to cool the fire with water as well as provide reconnaissance on its size and containment.
Officials said that 60 personnel were on the scene from various agencies all working together to contain and extinguish the fire.
The department said the terrain is very rocky with several bluffs prohibiting crews from fighting it directly with equipment. On Monday, crews said they will construct an indirect line along an old dozer line away from the fire's edge to catch the fire if it makes a run.
The Sikorsky S-61 attack helicopters are able to drop 1,000 gallons of water at a time and are filling up from the nearby Pigeon River.
The Welcome Center was closed Friday afternoon with crews standing by to protect it if needed. TDOT said the right lane of I-40 is also closed at MM 447.
U.S. Forestry officials said people should stay aware of smoke in the area.
Cocke County Fire, Grassy Fork Volunteer Fire Department, and Del Rio Fire are also involved in the response.
“We want to remind the public that ground conditions are very dry right now,” said Trent Girard, a Forest Fire Management Officer. “I would like to thank all the resources from the Tennessee Division of Forestry, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, local fire departments and all other emergency responders for the support.”
This story will be updated as more information is made available.
Crews are also continuing to fight fires in the Meadow Creek and Long Branch areas. Fire activity in the Meadow Creek area was minimal as of Thursday afternoon, officials said.