Attention!! We have reports of a small brush fire at the base of Mt. LeConte in the Cherokee Orchard Area. We have been informed that Rainbow Falls trail is CLOSED. Bullhead trail and Trillium trail are still OPEN. We will keep you posted on any upcoming changes. Please, if you have questions, call our office at 865-429-5704. I will not be on the computer to answer any questions.
It's sort of coincidental that your announcement came as it did this morning. Three weeks ago I attended a seminar at the Gatlinburg convention center entitled "Will our Smokies go up in smoke ?" I apologize for not right now remembering the fellow who gave the lecture, but its content was quite poignant and directly related to the Park. This fellow made a career of studying tree rings from which was determined much useful information about forest fires. I don't know if any other readers and followers of this particular blog site were present, but it was an informative presentation. It is thought that the Park could well be "ripe" for a major forest fire with all the undergrowth there these days. It makes me think, and be concerned, about fires in the Smokies, and in particular how one could or might affect Leconte Lodge !? I believe everyone who is a crew member up there must surely be aware of such a possibility for I cannot imagine a more thoroughly trained and prepared crew. I'm just thinking out loud here. Of course, no one wants an event like that to even come close to the lodge. Thanks for your information.
Al on the Beach in Biloxi, MS.
5/9/2014 04:37:37 am
Such terrible news. I hope it wasn't caused by some careless hiker. I sure not much thought is given to fire safety along the trails. Please, folks, be careful. Keep us posted on the progress the rangers are making. Thanks..,
L hatton
5/9/2014 04:45:24 am
Looks like one side has died down, but these winds are making the fire up by the ridge stronger. We can see it from Chalet Village in Gatlinburg.
Matt
5/9/2014 05:20:26 am
Below is a link to a WATE webcam on top of the Park Vista in Gatlinburg. You can see the smoke from the fire. I went to that site and clicked on the "time lapse" option and all I could see was apparently some smoke, but this appeared to be up high on the mountain not too far below the ridge and the lodge location. I sure hope some rain falls up there this afternoon and that the guests and crew at the lodge are safe.
L Hatton
5/9/2014 10:48:54 am
We had a good bit of rain roll through and I can't see anymore smoke, looks like it is out. From what I understand it was in a natural fire area and forestry was just letting it burn because it posed no danger and had low fuel. Good news all around, happy hiking.
tomk in SC
5/9/2014 11:33:52 am
Two or three years ago there was a fire in the eastern end of the park, not far from the Foothills Parkway. That fire got me thinking about the same thing. Two issues, one around the structures and the other one around refuge. The structures look mostly unprotected unless there is some sort of fire hydrant I haven't seen. There IS a lot of stored water, I just don't know about the flow rates and hoses or if the stored water is enough to stave off structure fires in the event of a forest fire. The other issue is where one might find shelter from a firestorm should things dry out enough for that to happen. My best guess thus far would be to head for cliff tops or perhaps Myrtle Point and pile up in the middle of the rocks.
RJnLA
5/9/2014 11:49:36 am
I've said for years, if a major fire were to get started in the mountains with all the dead wood everywhere and the remoteness and no road access to much of the park,there is not enough water in Tennessee to put it out.I shutter to even think of what it would look like afterwards. Hopefully it never happens.On a positive note, this mornings picture was fantastic. Wish I had that view out my kitchen window. tomkinsc raises a good point about forest fires. He talks about manmade structures and how they can be protected from fires. That is an important issue that I would guess would be addressed in any firefighting routine, but I say, on a broader scale, the dryness of spring in periods of low rainfall is much more intense and serious than anything we can address with firehoses. The leaves look green and lush but they are dried out, like an old lady who makes herself look better temporarily with a moisturizer. Ha, ha! Why would I pick that comparison! Comments are closed.
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LeConte LodgeWelcome to the official blog of LeConte Lodge. We hope you find the information provided here both helpful and enjoyable. Thank you for visiting the site, and we hope to see you on the mountain! Archives
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