Tennessee wildfires have burned 10,000 acres this year. What fueled the flames?

Since January, the U.S. has lost 800,000 acres of land to wildfires. 

The largest, smokiest fires cluster in the West. But the Southeast sees its share of small fires — and numbers have been up this year in Tennessee. 

The Tennessee Division of Forestry has, thus far, reported 636 incidents that together burned more than 10,000 acres of land, a figure not seen since an exceptional drought helped promote fires in 2016.  

“It’s been a much more active fire season,” said the division’s Tim Phelps. “We’ve already burned more acres this year than we have in any of the last five years.”

Last month, two wildfires in Sevier County burned more than 3,000 acres, accumulated an estimated $65 million in damages and received an emergency declaration from Gov. Bill Lee. One of the fires, named the Hatcher Mountain/Wears Valley fire, prompted the evacuation of over 11,000 homes.

The flames were ignited by downed power lines, one of the most common wildfire sources behind the practice of vegetation debris burning. (Phelps suggested that composting or mulching with vegetation debris is preferable, but people who choose to burn leaves and sticks should follow safety guidelines and get a permit.) 

Other wildfire causes can be random — Phelps gave the example of a lawnmower blade scraping a rock — and many go undetermined. But about 500 of this year’s fires have been reported as human-caused. 

The Sevier County fires were able to spread thanks to high winds and low humidity. Parts of Middle and East Tennessee were also a little drier than usual in March with record daily high and cold temperatures throughout the month. 

“Wind gusts over 50 miles per hour in a mountainous-type of terrain can push a fire rather quickly,” Phelps said.

Tennessee’s official spring fire season runs until mid-May and starts again in the fall.