Abigail Margulis

amargulis@citizen-times.com

HOT SPRINGS - Madison County schools are closed Friday after a large wildfire broke out Thursday afternoon, burning in the Pisgah National Forest in Hot Springs near Greene County, Tennessee.

This fire is separate from the State Line Fire that began last weekend on the border of Cocke County, Tennessee and Madison County about five miles west of Hot Springs. The State Line Fire reached more than a thousand acres in size and crews contained the fire on Thursday, but continue to monitor the area.

Officials reopened a section of Highway 25-70 east of Hot Springs around 9 a.m. Friday after they shut it down just before 6 p.m. on Thursday, said Forest Service spokeswoman Lisa Jennings.

At the time officials closed the highway the fire was on U.S. 25-70 with 60 acres of the fire on one side and 20 acres on the other, she added.

Portions of the Appalachian Trail remain closed Friday from the town of Hot Springs to Hurricane Gap, Lovers Leap Loop and Pump Gap Trail.

The fire grew to 2,000 acres in size in less than 24 hours and was 10 percent contained as of Friday morning, the U.S. Forest Service reports. The fire is located about 1 mile east of Hot Springs in the Appalachian Ranger District of Madison County.

Overnight, crews dropped a series of three fire retardant drops on the west side of the fire to protect private property and air tankers from Chattanooga, Tennessee flew in to issue the drops, according to the Unaka Ranger District located in Tennessee.

Agencies' primary focus Friday will be burnouts and laying containment lines to reduce threats to any structures in the vicinity of the area, Jennings said.

Raindrops sprinkled the area with about a tenth of an inch of rainfall Friday morning, which has helped to reduce fire behavior, Jennings said.

"It is helping out fire crews giving them a change to recon the fire and work on establishing those containment lines," she said.

As this region has a history of wildfires, crews are familiar with the area and have a good lay of the land, she added.

Throughout the day the public should expect to see a significant amount of smoke in the region with rain and cloud cover causing the clouds to settle lower, Jennings added.

As the day continues, crews hope to see acreage decrease and containment of the fire increase, but weather will continue to be a factor as officials battle flames.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Other wildfires in Western North Carolina include:

A fire named the Hot Box Fire, located in the Mill Creek area between Ridgecrest and Old Fort grew to 75 acres by Friday morning. The fire is on private property on the Grandfather Mountain Ranger District in McDowell County.

U.S. Forest Service, North Carolina Forest Service and the Old Fort Fire Department had firefighters on scene assessing the area Thursday. A hotshot crew and state aviation resources are also assisting firefighters.

Overnight, firefighters worked to construct containment lines and made good progress, Jennings said.

Sparks from the railroad ignited fires in three separate areas both north and south of Point Lookout Trail causing officials to close the trail to protect public safety.

When officials checked the trail Friday morning there was still active fire, which will limit them from reopening the trail anytime on Friday, Jennings said.

The Buck Knob Fire, reported Wednesday, in Macon County off Old N.C. 64 near Franklin was 50 percent contained by Thursday afternoon and grew to 225 acres within 24 hours. The fire originally shut part of the Appalachian Trail down, but the trail was reopened from the Wallace Gap to the Winding Stair Gap section Thursday.

The fire is under investigation. Officials suspect a human started the fire.

Road closures due to fires:

Hurricane Gap Road (NC)

Mill Ridge Road (NC)

Shad Road (TN)

Hurricane Creek Road (TN)

Trails closures due to fires:

Appalachian Trail from the town of Hot Springs to Hurricane Gap

Lovers Leap Loop (#308)

Pump Gap Trail (#309)

Wildfire to close Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs