GATLINBURG, Tenn. – The National Park Service (NPS) plans to burn approximately 1,400 acres of fields in the eastern half of Cades Cove at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Weather permitting, burn operations may begin as early as Feb. 3 and may continue through Feb. 5. These seasonal prescribed fires help to safely reduce fuels, restore meadow habitats and maintain the historic landscape of Cades Cove.
Cades Loop Road will remain open to visitor use pending weather conditions, but brief delays and temporary closures may occur to ensure public safety during burn operations. Sparks and Hyatt lanes will close during burning operations. Visitors should expect to see firefighters and fire activity during prescribed burn operations. Drivers should reduce speed in work zones, but refrain from stopping in the roadways. If smoke is present, drivers should roll up windows and turn on headlights.
The park plans to burn the following units: Maple Branch, Martha’s Branch, Primitive Baptist, Sparks Lane Marsh/Quarry, Rowans Marsh and Tipton Oliver.
Before conducting a prescribed burn, park staff closely monitor fire weather conditions including vegetation and soil moisture, wind speed and direction, temperature and relative humidity to ensure that conditions meet the burn plan objectives for the site. Forecasted precipitation in the East Tennessee area will improve the opportunity for prescription parameters to be met. If conditions are not met, the NPS will continue to monitor conditions to identify another burn window.
Over the last 20 years, the park has conducted burns during the spring and fall under specific prescription parameters in Cades Cove. The park typically burns several fields at a time to mimic natural landscape burns, prevent encroachment of woody plant species and preserve native herbaceous species that provide high quality cover and foraging opportunities for wildlife including deer, turkeys, pollinators and ground nesting birds. The burnt landscape is short lived and typically results in a mosaic of burned and unburned areas, with new growth appearing within weeks post-burn. Without the use of prescribed fire in Cades Cove, the cove would experience natural succession to forest.
For more information on the use of prescribed burns in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visit the park’s Wildland Fire webpage.
- National Park Service release
