GATLINBURG, Tenn. – Due to dry conditions, low relative humidity, a continued high fire danger, and a high wind watch, the National Park Service (NPS) is instituting an immediate ban on all campfires and charcoal use in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This fire ban will remain in effect until further notice on both the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the park.
Campers, backpackers, and visitors using picnic areas may continue to use cookstoves with compressed gas canisters and gas grills that feature an on/off switch. Stoves and grills must be attended at all times.
The NPS is collaborating with multiple agencies in response to current and predicted weather and fuel conditions. Visitors are urged to exercise extra caution while recreating on public lands, including national parks and national forests, in North Carolina and Tennessee when fire danger is elevated.
For the latest information regarding the fire ban in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, please visit the park’s current conditions webpage.
– National Park Service release
