SE mtns are burning

We're still burning up here. I'm STILL packed up in my driveway(been 4 days) so I can leave at the drop of a hat. We need rain. Period.

2 fires near me..

One (Maple Springs fire) has consumed a good portion of the Joyce Kilmer wilderness plus a ton of FS land. Now it threatens the old growth trees in the Kilmer day hike loop (500yrs old). About 6000 acres burned for it. so far.

Another fire (Old Roughy Ridge) is next to me. About 680 acres for it, so far. Fire line is about 200yrds from the house.

The NOC last night. They stopped it at the road. No damage to structures. This is the "Ferebee fire".


2 days ago, it was blowing south.


Now its going NW.


Franklin NC.




That white line lower middle is the big concrete bridge over the lake on hwy 129, about 3 miles north of Robbinsville. My place is on the other side this fire/ridgeline.


Hwy 129 is at the bottom of pic (big concrete bridge lower right). Kilmer/Slick Rock on fire off in the distance. 5400' mtns there. Smaller fire near me is lower right.

 

When I passed through the mountains last weekend, I went through Murphy, Hayesville, Franklin, and Dillsboro. While I saw and smelled some fire, the only closed road I saw was W Old Murphy Road near Franklin.

Are those areas affected by highway closures now?

Sorry to see that at NOC. I usually go through there, but I didn't last week because I wanted to avoid the kayaking/tubing traffic. By the time I worked my way through the traffic in Ocoee, I wanted to avoid that area.

 

Burning up here in NE Ga. flew in Friday, looked crazy from the air. The little bit of rain we did get didn't hit any fires.

 

The Nanty gorge is closed for 14 miles.

129 is closed for about 4 miles between R-ville and Deals Gap. But theres a detour that paralels it along lake Santeetlah on the east side of the lake.

Western-northern Kilmer rd that goes around the lake from the Skyway over to 129, is closed .

I'm sure theres more, but thats all I know since its close.

 

Oh shit.

Did the rain tonight help?

I first thought it was my neighbor...

 

Stay safe utbf. We got smoke hanging over my house as we speak, and I'm in Greenville SC.

 

We shifted our wind to blow your way.

 

Stay safe. It's horrible seeing so much damage. The hills will be scarred for a long time

 

Winds must've been N/NE last weekend. Coming home from Gatlinburg up 75, it was still smokey up in Corbin Ky. when I stopped to clean puke out of the car seat, the first time!

 

HOLY crap!

 

Why was you puking? Little smoke does that? You a chick? I'm just asking.

 

We've got a lot of your smoke in north Alabama. Crazy, I've never seen it like this before.

 

Here'sa pretty awesome shot of the fire

 

I was puking because I had a stomach bug and too much vodka. The boy got the bug too. Not sure how much vodka he had tho.

 

Awesome shot, in a sad kind of way if you know what I mean. Amazing how powerful those fires can be when they get moving. Buddy of mine is heading to Rabun County, Ga tomorrow to work on the fires. He's a balls out firefighter (won several awards for bravery, etc) but says this makes him pretty nervous.

 

Thats not a shot of any of the fires. That pic was circulated about 10 yrs ago during the fires out west.

 

Well damn. should've checked my source

 

Great pic tho lol

 

Most of the footage and pictures I've seen show little fire involvement in the tree canopy; it's mostly the underbrush that's burning.

It also doesn't appear to be advancing as fast as the fires in CO two years ago.

 

The whole area of Atlanta smelled like a campfire last week.... Driving to Talladega and Barber Thursday at Lunch the smoke was there even West just about to Villa Rica...