Up from the Ashes-Springtime in the Great Smoky Mountains!

On Wednesday, November 23, 2016, around 5:20 p.m. a small fire was discovered near the top of a steep hill called Chimney Tops, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSMNP), Tennessee. This was the same location where another fire occurred about a week before. GRSMNP firefighters spotted the new fire as they returned from responding to a report of a vehicle fire. The earlier fire on the hill was named “Chimney Tops” — hence the name “Chimney Tops 2” for the new blaze.

Unfortunately, conditions were perfect for a forest fire. The entire Southeast had been in a very severe drought for over 4 months, and since there had not been a major fire in this area for decades, there was plenty of fuel (dead trees and debris on the forest floor) for the fire to burn very quickly. Because the fire was burning in a remote location with limited access, and no structures were threatened, Park officials allowed it to burn, monitoring its progress closely. By Saturday, November 26^th, the fire was 8 acres in size. On Sunday, an updated weather forecast predicted wind gusts out of the south for Monday morning of 25 mph, increasing at noon to 30 mph and to 40 mph by 6 p.m. The fire was south of Gatlinburg. By the end of the day on Sunday the fire had burned approximately 35 acres.

When maintenance employees with GRSMNP drove past the Chimney Tops 2 Fire early Monday morning they saw that the intensity and rate of spread of the fire had increased dramatically. It had burned into a picnic area and crossed the main road into the park, US Highway 441.The wind and the low visibility caused by the smoke made it impossible to fly aircraft over the fire. It was estimated that the fire had grown to approximately 250 to 500 acres, and was headed toward Gatlinburg. Over the next two weeks, and fueled by high winds, the fire burned everything in its path, leaping from ridge top to ridge top. It wasn’t until December 20^th that fire officials stated the fire had been contained (was out). The aftermath was one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Tennessee. The Chimney Tops 2 fire that spread from Great Smoky Mountains National Park into the city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee tragically killed 14 people, forced 14,000 to evacuate, destroyed or damaged 2,500 structures, and burned 17,000 acres. The cost-over 2 billion dollars!

I recount this terrible incident because Theresa and I had just visited the area two weeks earlier in November, 2016……and 1 ½ year later (late April, 2018), we returned to the park to see how it’s recovering, and also participate in the annual Wildflower Pilgrimage. What we discovered was how extremely destructive nature can be, but also has an amazing ability to heal quickly! Up from the ashes, new life emerges!

A few of the burned ridge tops of the 2016 Chimney Tops 2 Fire……16 months later.

As part of our guided program, we took a hike right through the center of one of the most severely burned areas of the park. As we walked and listened to our program leader, the charred remains of trees and shrubs harshly reminded us of what happened only 16 months ago. Yet, popping up through the blackness, many green plants were emerging. Thousands of Table Mountain Pine tree seedlings, new Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurel shrubs, grasses and even a few tough wildflowers, were beginning to restore the area to the rich, diverse environment the park is known for.

Burned areas of Great Smoky Mts National Park (top). The cones of the Table Mountain Pine need fire to release their seeds. Hundreds of Table Mountain Pine Tree seedlings sprout from the charred floor of the forest.

During our quick 3-day visit we saw over 50 species of wildflowers, along with too many species of trees, shrubs, ferns and fungi to list. It was a botanical smorgasbord! Throw in 40 species of birds, a few Black Bears and deer, rivers roaring with spring runoff and spectacular mountain views around every turn, and you just can’t beat spring in the Great Smoky Mountains! Below is a collage of some of our favorites!