COSBY, Tenn. — A person has been cited after a brush fire burned 177 acres of land in the Rocky Flats area of Sevier and Cocke counties.
According to Sevier County officials, someone who was burning debris without a permit caused the fire. The county said the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Crime Unit cited the person.
"This is why state Forestry bans fire. We continue to receive calls of individuals starting brush fires. Quit burning. You are not the one that has to risk your life to put it out," the Cocke County Sheriff's Office said.
Sevier County EMA said multiple crews worked over the weekend to contain a fire near Cosby. As of Monday, the fire was fully contained.
The fire started in Sevier County Saturday morning, brushed the forest and was coming down to meet the road in Cocke County.
"But as the night went on, we could watch it from our deck," said Kristin Roberts, a resident of Cosby. "So that was what was a little scary. So we were packing up."
On Saturday around 11 a.m., Sevier Co. EMA reported a brush fire near Young Blood Way & Rocky Flats Road. Multiple crews responded to the fire, including the Wildfire Task Force, the Division of Forestry, Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department and Gatlinburg Fire Department.
Smoke and sprinkles of ashes spread in the nearby neighborhoods.
"The whole Cosby community and Rocky Flats is smoky. And you know, a lot of people are kind of on edge," Roberts said.
Officials said they are monitoring the fire lines to make sure that it is contained. "A lot of times, firefighters will be standing around monitoring the fire... we may not have to do something active, but you have to have eyes on the fire," said Brook Smith, Area Forester of Knox, Anderson and Sevier counties.
Forestry said this is an important part and they are also using the wildfire to consume the fuel at the ground level.
"If a fire does occur in this footprint again, it will not have the flame intensity or activity because it will have a lower fuel level," Smith said.