By Beverly A. Carroll
Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
Copyright 2007 Chattanooga Publishing Company
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — After five days of digging firebreaks and dropping water and chemicals on hundreds of acres of steep, rugged terrain along Walden’s Ridge and Suck Creek Mountain, state and federal firefighting crews had the fire contained Tuesday.
However, new fires in Sequatchie and Van Buren counties started the same day, said an assistant district forester said.
“We have had quite a number of fires this spring,” said Robert Rhinehart, assistant forester for the Southeast Tennessee district office. “It seems that the warm weather and (lack of rain have) made it worse.”
To date, 364 fires have burned 5,676 acres in the 14-county Southeast district, Mr. Rhinehart said.
The Walden’s Ridge fire that began Friday on Edwards Point scorched and burned more than 500 acres, but no serious injuries were reported. No one was evacuated, though at one point the fire spread near the Alexian Village retirement community.
To bring the fire under control, a utility 60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1-230th Air Cavalry Squadron of the Tennessee Army National Guard continued Tuesday to drop water from the Tennessee River. Already nearly 50 crew members from state and federal forestry agencies had built firebreaks to contain the fire and an air tanker on Monday dropped two separate 2,550 gallon loads of a chemical retardant along Middle Creek.
The Black Hawk helicopter was diverted later Tuesday to help out with a fire near Blue Sewanee Road, which runs through Sequatchie County to Bledsoe County, and a fire off Rocky River Road in Van Buren County, Mr. Rhinehart said. Both fires were in steep, wooded areas, and no houses were in danger. A firefighter was seriously injured Tuesday in the Sequatchie County fire, Mr. Rhinehart said.
Spectators Tuesday filled the pull-off spaces along Suck Creek Road, stopping to photograph the flames that could be seen across the creek.
“It’s sad,” said Donna Parris, who saw the fire from Prentice Cooper State Forest on Suck Creek Mountain. She and her husband, John, regularly drive from their home in Ringgold, Ga., to ride all-terrain vehicles. “It’s probably from somebody’s stupidity.”
The Chattanooga area is in a moderate drought condition, and the Tennessee Valley just recorded its driest winter on record in more than 100 years, according to Tennessee Valley Authority officials.
Rainfall in the Chattanooga area is 9.44 inches below normal for this time of year, according to Brian Boyd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Since Jan. 1, the area has received 6.28 inches, compared with the 15.72-inch average normally logged by this time, Mr. Boyd said.
“Right now, there is a severe drought listed for the Southern Plateau,” he said. “It could be expanded to include the Chattanooga Metro area later this week.”
Record warm temperatures have been conducive for fires, leaving brush, leaves and other fire fuels dry and combustible, forestry officials said.
Tuesday’s high was 82 degrees, four degrees shy of the 86 degree record set in 1910, Mr. Boyd said.
Rain is in the forecast but not enough to alleviate the drought or clear the air, Mr. Boyd said.
The Air Pollution Control Bureau had issued a “code orange” health notice for Tuesday because of increased levels of particulate matter. Code orange means air is unhealthy for at-risk groups such as children, older adults and people with heart or lung disease.
Signal Mountain resident Gerald Roberts drove to Signal Point on Tuesday trying to see the fire. A Delta pilot who is a friend of his son’s called to report he saw the fire when he flew over Signal Mountain this weekend, he said.
“I’m concerned,” Mr. Roberts said. “And I got a message from a friend who is out of town telling me where all his important papers are (in case of evacuation).”