CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn. — Several brush and wildfires are burning across East Tennessee this week as fall drought conditions continue to reach "unprecedented" levels, fueling the fire danger.
"It was one of the driest Octobers on record, and we weren't as concerned early into the month because there wasn't a lot of fuel on the ground, but now there's plenty for fires to start off," said Nathan Waters, who works with the Tennessee Division of Forestry.
"Look at the situation right now. It's very volatile. It's very dangerous right now," said Ray Butler, who also works with the Tennessee Forestry Department.
People should avoid burning anything outside while the fire risk is high without authorization. The National Weather Service said that there is an "elevated fire risk" expected on Wednesday due to breezy southerly winds and low relative humidity.
"If you smoke, dispose of your butts appropriately. Don't just throw things down and let it smolder out. This is a time to be careful, pay attention and use common sense. If we used 100% common sense, we'd reduce our fires drastically," said Waters.
In East Knox County, Rural Metro Fire teams responded to a fast-moving brush fire in the area of Strawberry Plains Pike and Moshina Road around 1 p.m. Jeff Bagwell with Rural Metro said when crews arrived they found a one-acre brush fire "out of control" and spreading into the woods.
"Fueled by leaves on the ground, extreme dry condition and low relative humidity—the fire was moving quickly," Bagwell said.
Rural Metro crews were able to locate the head of the fire and stop the fire at two acres in size with no structures involved.
"Open burning is banned in Knox County today and is truly not a good idea at all until we receive some measurable rainfall. Please, please take our advice," Bagwell said.
The Campbell County Rural Fire Service said crews were responding to reports of a fire on Stinking Creek Road, near Meredith Cemetery, on Tuesday afternoon. That fire is now 100% contained after it reached at least 60 acres in size.
A second fire off Stinking Creek Road at Adam Hollow Road had also grown to at least 50 acres. According to the Division of Forestry, the fire was 100% contained by Tuesday evening.
Fire service crews said the terrain of the region added extra challenges to the battle. The volunteer crew battled the fire for over six hours before handing it off to some Division of Forestry crews, an agency that provided them with the tools they said were crucial in the fight.
"The Tennessee Division of Forestry provided funds years ago for us to get out all the blowers. And they're a big tremendous asset," said Don McGuire, with the Campbell County Rural Fire Service.
Even community members stepped up to protect their homes.
"The community took their blowers and kept the road clear, so it didn't jump through the other side for us, Because we just had just two guys here, and we've put this line in all the way around the two of us," Mcguire said.
He also added that his crew jumped into action as soon as they heard the call.
"Just like today, the guy he got off his machine doing excavation work, and he jumped in the truck and he comes up here and helped me.," said Mcguire. "And I couldn't put this line in without him,"
Several other wildfires are being reported across East Tennessee as the risk for fires to ignite increased due to dry conditions.
The Tennessee Forestry Division said fires sparked up in Sevier, Roane, Morgan, Scott, Fentress, Campbell, and Anderson counties over the past two days. The size and scope of the fires ranged from half an acre to hundreds of acres.
Crews continued to battle the 397-acre Anderson County fire near Rocky Top. As of 12:03 p.m. on Thursday, crews had made progress and had it 100% contained, according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry.
A smaller grass fire in Roane County ended up blocking traffic on I-40 West for miles. Another fire from last week in the county on Edwards Road between Oak Ridge and Harriman re-sparked, prompting crews to respond. It was re-contained as of 7:45 p.m. Tuesday.
In Morgan County, someone threw out cooking grease and ignited a fire in the Sunbright area.
Fires are also burning in Eastern Kentucky in Bell and Harlan counties near Frakes and Fort Kaywood.
You can track the status of active wildfires in East Tennessee on the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's fire map at this link.
A state-issued burn ban is in effect for Morgan County. Several cities and counties, such as Knox County and Sevierville, have also issued local open-burn bans in the meantime.
The fire service said that outdoor burning was not authorized because the fire danger was "high," the third-highest rating. At a "high" fire risk, the fire service said all fine dead fuels — like grass, leaves or pine needles — can readily ignite and fires can start easily from most causes like dropping lit cigarettes or allowing a campfire to get out of control.
Most of East Tennessee is under severe or extreme drought conditions. Less than a half-inch of rain fell in East Tennessee during September, and October saw around 0.63 inches of rain. Both months combined to create the driest two months in the history of East Tennessee.