A fire that started around the 343 mile marker of Interstate 40 in Roane County snaked its way up Rockwood Mountain on Monday night and was heading toward Airport Road this morning. Nathan Waters, assistant district forester for the East Tennessee district of the Tennessee Division of Forestry, said the fire encompassed approximately 20 acres.  Fighting the fire has been difficult because of the steep, rocky terrain.  No homes were threatened as of the time of this report.

Drivers will know the area because of the steep grade they face as they head up the interstate toward the Plateau. It’s near the Central Time Zone border. Waters said it’s likely the fire started from something such as sparks from truck brakes or tossed debris. He said he doubted anyone deliberately set it because of the busy and treacherous location where it broke out.  He described the fire as resembling a finger, long and narrow.  Firefighters cut “the head” off of it and were addressing its flanks, where fire still was active, according to Waters. Authorities may let the lower end of it burn out on its own, he said. He was confident, however, the fire would not be allowed to burn if it posed a danger to anyone.   Heavy wind caused the flames to spread from mile marker 343 towards exit 341.

Waters also stated that a wildfire was still burning off Roane Road in Morgan County .  He said the fire had burned about 50 acres and was being monitored.

In Cumberland County, a fire burning between Crab Orchard Mtn and Millstone continues to burn today.  Jim Dale,  assistant district forester for the East Tennessee district of the Tennessee Division of Forestry, says a 6 foot wide fire control line was built around the fire and most of that line had to be cleared by hand because the steep terrain wouldn’t allow the use of heavy equipment like dozers.  The biggest problem with controlling this fire is that because of the extremely dry conditions, the fire is actually burning below the control lines.  Dale states that because the roots, moss and other such items underground in the control line are so dry, they actually catch fire underground.  The fire is going to be allowed to burn itself out as long as it stays withing the containment lines, but because of the uncertainty of the winds, the fire wasn’t expected to be extinguished soon.

Because of the dry conditions and unpreditable winds, Dale said no burning permits are being issued for this area.