logo
TDEC, Bays Mtn. Park perform prescribed burn to negate future forest fires

TDEC, Bays Mtn. Park perform prescribed burn to negate future forest fires

Yahoo10-04-2025

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Smoke could be seen coming from Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport most of the afternoon on Wednesday. It was controlled burn by park rangers in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).
Prescribed burns are used to purposefully light fire to certain locations of woodland. It's a land management technique to mimic the natural occurrence of fire that will restore a healthy ecosystem, according to TDEC officials.
It's the first time it's ever been done at Bays Mountain. The fire was closely monitored by TDEC, park rangers, Kingsport firefighters and some future firefighters from Dobyns-Bennett High School's Pulaski Club.
The Pulaski Club is the only high school wildland fire training club in the country. Student Killian Kelly said it's pretty cool to take part in a prescribed burn at a park that means so much to him.
'(I was) born and raised in Kingsport,' Kelly told News Channel 11. 'So I've been up here, all my life I've come up here for field trips, being in the planetarium. I've hiked these trails before. So it's definitely something else to come back and do something historical for them. So I would definitely love to come up here in the future and see how the land kind of regenerates after the fire.'
Kelly says he wants to be a firefighter when he graduates from high school.
'I plan to go and structure firefighting. So I thought this program and the DB fire class in general would be a great place to start my career.'
The burn was carefully planned and had been in the works for some time, but TDEC leaders said the added debris from Hurricane Helene made this a perfect time.
TDEC's Natural Area Program Manager Sam King explained the importance of a controlled burn.
'A prescribed burn is a lot different from a wildfire,' King said. 'We have a very specific set of parameters, both weather and how the fuels and the leaf litter, and the wood on the ground, the moisture levels, and how all that interacts that lets us do these burns safely. Rather than wait for a major drought or a lightning storm or something that could start a wildfire, we're able to come in and do it with adequate resources and make sure everything stays under control in order to meet our objectives.'
Only about seven acres were burned among the park's 3,766 acres of land. However, park manager Megan Krager said the small burn would be instrumental in gathering data like how the fire reacted and what plant life will return.
'So we want to see what the landscape is going to do,' Krager said. 'If there's some swirly winds on the top ridge, we want to see how that's going to affect some of our ignition sites. Also, too, what we want to do is after the burn, we want to know what's going to be coming back. We want to know, is there anything else that might be laying down in seed that's been dormant for a number of years? Would that possibly be coming back? So again, we're trying to fill in some of the gaps and some of the questions that we had ourselves over the past few years about certain plants here at the park.'
The burn was at the top of the mountain near the communication towers, a popular trail for biking and walking. Visitors may be shocked at the sight of charred land, but Krager says the burn is good for the park's ecosystem.
'They're going to see some charring on the ground. And then within roughly about three weeks, they'll start to see some of the plants start to come back. Some of the greenery, and then a month later, you'll see a little bit more greenery as well. Yes, the base of some of our trees are going to be charred, but it doesn't affect the trees because we're not cutting our trees down for logging purposes.'
Bays Mountain leaders said if the results of the prescribed burn Wednesday are successful, more burns will likely be planned at the park in the future.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sullivan County revisits hazard mitigation plan
Sullivan County revisits hazard mitigation plan

Yahoo

time14 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Sullivan County revisits hazard mitigation plan

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Sullivan County officials, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and community members met on Wednesday to discuss the county's updated five-year mitigation plan. Every county in Tennessee has a hazard mitigation plan to prepare for natural disasters. This is the first revision to the plan since Hurricane Helene. Michael Lamphere, TEMA's East Regional Planner, said it is essential to anticipate all the possibilities of the future. 'Hazard mitigation is basically how I looked at what to look at,' he said. 'It is think of the worst case scenario, the worst disaster that you could think of is going to happen to your community or your jurisdiction. How would you prevent that from actually causing damage and saving lives and property? What would you do to mitigate that today?' Lamphere said a hazard mitigation plan helps create less financial strain on the community. 'Basically, for every dollar that is spent on mitigation, it saves between 6 and $8 on future damage,' Lamphere said. 'So if something happened today, if you actually spent that money ahead of time to prepare for that, it would save a lot of money in the future if a disaster were to hit because you helped prepare it, mitigate that disaster before it actually happened.' Sullivan County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Bean said that reviewing the plan at least every five years ensures that the most critical projects remain a priority in disaster recovery efforts. 'The biggest reason to update, at least every five years, is, number one, not to go stale with your project,' Bean said. 'When I first came into the job, a little over ten years ago, we were repeating projects that hadn't been completed in the past five years. So we wanted to make sure, you know, this wasn't something that fell to the wayside. And, so we would create a list of projects, and we worked toward them in those five years.' The hazard mitigation plan only protects against natural disasters, not human-caused issues. 'Floods, landslides,' Bean said. 'Earthquakes, strong winds, tornadoes, all those, all the other natural disasters, and other than manmade, and nothing, specifically public health related like we went through two years ago.' Once the plan is submitted, FEMA has 60 days to review and accept it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Nolichucky Blooms complete projects at Helene impacted homes
Nolichucky Blooms complete projects at Helene impacted homes

Yahoo

time20 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Nolichucky Blooms complete projects at Helene impacted homes

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The David Crockett High School Future Farmers of America's (FFA) Nolichucky Blooms first on-site project took place on Wednesday. Through Nolichucky Blooms, students and volunteers help with planting and mulching needs around homes impacted by Hurricane Helene. 'We're getting together all these plants, we've got donations, we've got sponsors, we have a lot of sponsors, and the community has come together,' Journey Higgins, with Nolichucky Blooms, said. 'We're taking these plants that have been donated and planting them at houses that were affected by the flood.' On Wednesday, the group started at the home of Gary Cloyd, Steven Cloyd's brother. 'This is one of our things we wanted to focus on was helping the emotional aspect,' Higgins said. 'These people have been through so much, but most importantly, we want to see their spirits uplifted. It's more also just about a spiritual and emotional connection with these people as well.' For more information on Nolichucky Blooms, or to stay updated on donation needs and more, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Photos: Couple returns to Biltmore for dream wedding after Helene squashed original plans
Photos: Couple returns to Biltmore for dream wedding after Helene squashed original plans

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

Photos: Couple returns to Biltmore for dream wedding after Helene squashed original plans

Eight months after Hurricane Helene interrupted one couple's wedding plans at the Biltmore Estate, the lovebirds returned to the historic site to finally have the wedding of their dreams. On May 31, Jansen and Travis returned to the estate to have the dream wedding they originally planned to have before Helene. Photos from the ceremony show the couple standing under an arch of light peach and lavender blooms, surrounded by their wedding party and guests on the front lawn of the Biltmore Estate. A member of the Biltmore team, who became ordained on the day of the storm to officiate Jansen and Travis's impromptu wedding, officiated their dream wedding, as well. "It's a powerful reminder that love, backed by community and perseverance, always finds its moment," Biltmore officials said in a statement. "Biltmore and the Asheville area are open, resilient, and welcoming travelers and destination weddings after Tropical Storm Helene." Jansen and Travis Putnam were preparing for their wedding ceremony at the Biltmore last fall when Helene wreaked unimaginable damage around the Asheville destination and throughout western North Carolina, forcing those inside the Biltmore to shelter in place. Couple Gets Impromptu Biltmore Wedding Amid Helene As Stranded Guests Save The Ceremony The couple were faced with the possibility of having to cancel their wedding. However, within a matter of hours, the hotel staff and guests organized a small, impromptu ceremony for the bride and groom, allowing them to tie the knot. When Helene struck, it dropped nearly 30 inches of rain – or about four months' worth – in only three days in parts of western North Carolina. The storm caused deadly floods and mudslides that completely reshaped, or in some cases, destroyed some towns. How To Watch Fox Weather Damage caused by Helene around the Biltmore Estate forced the historic site to temporarily shut down. It then reopened on Nov. 2, in time for their annual event "Christmas at the Biltmore." The story of the Biltmore Estate goes back to 1888, when George Vanderbilt visited Asheville for the first time and began buying land for what would become his new country home. According to Biltmore officials, Vanderbilt chose the area because he was captivated by the beauty of the Blue Ridge article source: Photos: Couple returns to Biltmore for dream wedding after Helene squashed original plans

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store