Tweed Wildfire Grows To Over 500 Acres

Wildland Firefighters with the US Forest Service are continuing their fight against the wildfires burning in the Cherokee National Forest. The Tweed wildfire is burning in part of Cocke County and Greene County. That blaze has claimed 525 acres so far and is now listed as 40% contained. However, fall leaves remain in tree canopies and as those leaves fall to the ground, the cured fuel will act as a new fuel source that will aide in reburning. The US Forest Service says that crews remain standing by for challenges to fire lines and warn the public that additional fire activity is likely as those leaves fall. Firefighters are working to establish fire lines to block fire from moving onto adjacent private land. Human cause is suspected in the Tweed fire as well as the two fires burning in the southern part of the Cherokee National Forest. The 540 acre fire in Polk County is now 60% contained, while the 103 acre fire in Monroe County is 20% contained.

The US Forest Service is also dealing with another headache as far as fighting these fires…drones. Firefighters are asking the public to not just avoid the areas around the wildfires but also to not fly private drones in or near a wildfire. Private drones force their support aircraft from the area which hampers firefighting efforts.