SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — The Smoky Mountains may be a little smokier this month while the Great Smoky Mountains National Park conducts prescribed burns in Cades Cove.
Fire management staff with the GSMNP and the Appalachian-Piedmont-Coastal Zone will burn approximately 689 acres of fields in the Cades Cove area starting on November 7, weather permitting, and continuing through Nov. 25.
Visitors should expect to see firefighters and equipment along Sparks Lane, Hyatt Lane and the western end of the Cades Cove Loop Road. There may be brief delays and temporary closures to ensure safe operations.
People should reduce their speed when driving in these areas, but should refrain from stopping in the roads. If they are near smoke, motorists should roll up their windows and turn on their headlights.
The park has conducted these burns during the spring and fall over the past 20 years to reduce fuels, restore meadow habitats and maintain the landscape of Cades Cove. They also help native plantlife to provide cover and foraging opportunities for wildlife in the area, including deer, wild turkeys and ground nesting birds.
The park said staff will closely monitor fire weather conditions to ensure they meet the burn plan objectives for the site.
“Appalachian Piedmont Coastal Zone Fire Staff are looking forward to supporting Great Smoky Mountain National Park’s field restoration goals in Cades Cove utilizing the skilled application of prescribed fire,” said Acting Fire Management Officer Shane Paxton. “Multiple workforce divisions in the park will be participating with us and ample opportunities for viewing the burn operations exist in Cades Cove for the public.”