Those aren’t clouds.
Satellite images this week of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee show vast plumes of swirling smoke — due to a mass of ongoing wildfires.
TN Fall Fire Season Situation Update- Night – Nov. 8, 7pm –
https://t.co/lVCp44JmQm
pic.twitter.com/6fb2uwqZZ6— TN Dept. of Ag (@TNAgriculture)
November 9, 2016
The smoke is so thick in some communities near Knoxville that
air alerts have been issued.
Outside Chattanooga, blazes are being pushed back from neighborhoods. Local firefighters are now being buoyed by out-of-state help from Nevada and Florida, and federal funds have been earmarked to help with what has now been officially labeled an emergency in the state — a declaration made Thursday night by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
As of late this week, Middle Tennessee has officially been placed in the severe drought category. Counties in the southeastern part of the state have been in extreme drought for months — and it is there, and near Knoxville, where the effects from the fires are most intense. Air tankers and helicopters are assisting ground crews in those areas.
More:
See the most current drought monitor map for Tennessee
Beyond the drought, state agencies say arson is to blame for some of the 53 wildfires currently burning in Tennessee. Those fires are affecting nearly 10,000 acres. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry will be updating the status of the fires this afternoon as well as announcing
the arrest of an arson suspect.
Agency spokesman Timothy Phelps tells the
Chattanooga Times Free Press that this fire season is “not normal.” He tells the paper he’s spoken with “a number of colleagues” and they say “this is as bad as they’ve ever seen it.”
Six counties are under open air burning restrictions and the state has advised nearly every community to be cautious with campfires, grilling, hunting and other potential spark sources.
According to TEMA, “relief from the drought and wildfire threat is not imminent as weather forecasts are not showing any significant precipitation in Tennessee through the remainder of 2016.”
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