Parts Of Appalachian Trail Closed As Wildfires Rage Across US Southeast
Parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee are experiencing severe drought and wildfires. This has led to the closure of certain sections of the Appalachian Trail due to hazardous conditions.
The latest weekly data from the US Drought Monitor shows large swaths of the Southeast are in "exceptional" to "severe" drought."
The EPA's AirNow fire detection map shows dozens of wildfires stretching from Oklahoma to Mississippi and all the way up to the Mid-Alantic region.
Multiple wildfires in Virginia and North Carolina forced the US Forest Service to close parts of the Appalachian Trail.
The Hill explains which parts of the trail are closed:
A Friday release by the Forest Service in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest and the National Interagency Fire Center's Southern Area Incident Management Red Team announced a closure of the Blue Ridge Parkway from "from milepost 66.3, near US Highway 501, to milepost 85.9, at VA Route 43 until further notice" in relation to the Matts Creek Fire
The release on the Matts Creek Fire also said a section of the Appalachian Trail from "from James River Foot Bridge to Petites Gap Road" was closed in relation to the wildfire.
The U.S. Forest Service in North Carolina noted another portion of the trail, "from Interstate 40 to Max Patch," was being closed in relation to the Black Bear Fire. The announcement was made in a Facebook post Friday.
The Matts Creek Fire and the Black Bear Fire were 2 and 0 percent contained respectively, according to officials. The Matts Creek Fire is significantly larger than the Black Bear Fire, having a coverage of 5,148 acres, versus Black Bear's 1,193 acres.
Shenandoah National Park also said a vehicle fire had spread into the park and caused a closure of the trail.
"The Appalachian Trail is closed from Jarman Gap (mile 98.6) to Rockfish Gap (mile 105) due to wildfire," Shenandoah National Park posted Friday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. -The Hill
X users shared dramatic scenes of the wildfires:
Wildfire in North Carolina mountains sparked by Interstate 40 crash grows to nearly 1,200 acres https://t.co/1oCz6UkrjK pic.twitter.com/5RT1eAHenM
— FOX8 WGHP (@myfox8) November 18, 2023
The Southern Area Blue Incident Management Team has taken over the Black Bear Fire in North Carolina. The fire is pushing 400 acres and is 0% contained. #ncfire #wildfire #ncwx #Raleigh
— The Hotshot Wake Up (@HotshotWake) November 17, 2023
Additional resources are on order. Hand line and dozer lines are currently being… pic.twitter.com/PZOqmiQfwV
If you noticed the smell of smoke outside, you're not alone. It's not from Canadian wildfires. This time it's from Virginia & North Carolina 🔥🔥🔥 transported by a gusty SSW wind!
— Peter Hall (@PeteWeatherBeat) November 17, 2023
The yellow dots show air quality issues for very sensitive people.#smoke #nywx #airquality pic.twitter.com/zy0kry3YfW
A surreal moment watching a wildfire run down a mountain - in Virginia.
— Peter Forister 🍁🍂🍁 (@forecaster25) November 16, 2023
I watched Matt's Creek Fire from this spot on Rt. 501 for a few hours last night. The sky was orange as the 10+ ft flames advanced through the canyon. pic.twitter.com/tbEcu4Tljy
🔥Smelling smoke this morning? There is a large wildfire ongoing in Virginia & a prescribed burn happening in south-central PA today. Southwest winds are causing smoke to drift north.#PAwx pic.twitter.com/KMWH05jfsB
— NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) November 17, 2023
Where are Greta and corporate progressive media blaming 'climate change'?
