Displaying items by tag: parson branch road reopening
Stubborn Flint Gap fire continues to burn in Great Smokies
That’s not the natural ‘smoke’ of the Smokies. The Flint Gap fire has burned about 50 acres south of Abrams Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. National Park Service
Firefighters stage in Abrams Creek Campground in national park as more resources arrive
Katie Liming is a public affairs officer with Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
GATLINBURG — The Flint Gap Fire is 46 acres as of the last estimate. Although the fire is presently uncontained, only a few areas are actively burning within the perimeter. Once firefighter access and safety in this remote and steep terrain is addressed, a full suppression strategy will be executed.
The fire did not receive as much rain over the weekend as previously predicted; however, a local weather station did show that 0.34 inches fell on the fire early Sept. 17.
On Monday, the fire responded to decreasing relative humidities, 10 mph winds and afternoon direct sunlight with some increased activity and additional smoke. The fire is currently backing through fingers of available fuels with flame lengths of 1-3 feet in some areas. Fire activity is primarily in areas with pockets of pine litter and near drainages.
National park reopens Cades Cove road traced for centuries
Parson Branch Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was reopened May 26 after a six-year closure. National Park Service
Parson Branch Road had been closed since 2016 because of washouts and danger from trees killed by the hemlock woolly adelgid
This article was provided by Great Smoky Mountains National Park Public Information Officer Dana Soehn.
CADES COVE — Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials celebrated on Thursday (May 26) the reopening of Parson Branch Road with a ribbon-cutting event honoring the crew who performed the needed work and the Friends of the Smokies who provided critical funding to support the efforts. The historic gravel road, originally constructed in 1838, is now reopened to the public after a six-year closure.
“We are pleased to reopen Parson Branch Road in time for the 2022 summer season,” said Deputy Superintendent Alan Sumeriski. “Not only does this restore access to one of the most special places in the Smokies, it also allows another opportunity for people of all abilities to spread out and explore less traveled areas of this very busy park.”