If you see a fire in Cades Cove this week, don't be alarmed.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Piedmont Zone fire management staff are planing to burn approximately 500 acres of fields within the Cove, weather permitting, on Thursday, November 29 and Friday, November 30.
Burns like this are good for the land.
Over the last 20 years, park managers have conducted these burns during the spring and fall under specific prescription parameters to safely reduce fuels, restore meadow habitats, and maintain the historic landscape of Cades Cove.
Last week, managers completed prescribed burns across 88 acres of fields near Sparks Lane.
“The selected fields will be burned to restore meadow species, prevent the open fields from being reclaimed by forest, and to reduce hazardous fuels,” said National Park Service Burn Boss Jordan Black.
The burn will be closely monitored to make sure its safe and stays in control.
Visitors should expect to see firefighters and equipment along Sparks Lane and the western end of the Cades Cove Loop Road during that time.
The loop road and historic structures will remain open during the burn, but brief delays and temporary closures may happen from time to time.