High Winds Contribute To Large Brush Fire

Staff Photo by Robin McMahon, Jefferson County Post Staff Writer

A fire took place on Saturday, March 8, 2014 at the intersection of Old Dandridge Pike and Hwy 25/70. The fire had originally begun as a controlled fire by Robert Harrington, on a property just off of Old Dandridge Pike. According to information provided at the scene, Harrington leases the property and was correctly permitted to burn from The Tennessee Division of Forestry. Mr. Harrington had started the fire earlier in the day, as a controlled burn, while the wind was calm. Over the course of the afternoon the wind increased and the fire spread quickly: after jumping a fence and burning out of control, the fire was called in at 2:38.  Over 200 acres were burned, as the fire quickly spread though the hay fields and into a dense forest line. Underbrush was the largest casualty of the quick spreading flames and no structures or homes were reported as damaged in the fire.

Fire Departments from surrounding counties responded to the scene. New Market Volunteer Fire Dept Capt. Sammy Solomon stated that over 200 Fire Fighters responded to the scene. On hand  were First Responders from Blaine, White Pine, Pittman Community Center, Wears Valley, Seymour Fire Suppression Unit, Pigeon Forge Fire and Rescue, Lake way Central, New Market, Northview Kodak, Walden’s Creek, and Cantons Chapel – Richardson Cove, Appalachian Electric, Dandridge and Sevier County.  Appalachian   Electric and Tennessee Highway Patrol directed traffic and Jefferson County EMS and Rescue Squad were on hand to provide additional assistance. The scene was dicey for the responding fire departments to gain access to, as the road to the property had a small, curvy, driveway to the fields, making it difficult to get trucks and tankers out to the location of the fire. Fire Fighters were forced to fight the blazes with little equipment and with some utilizing ATV’s.

Captain Solomon said that this is the second brush fire on this particular property.  The fire dept was on scene until late into the evening, ensuring that the last embers were extinguished. Red Cross volunteers were also on hand to assist and a command site was established at the corner of Old Dandridge Hwy and 25/70, where Jacob O’Quinn, a firefighter from the New Market Volunteer Dept., directed the large amount of fire equipment and fighters.

The Tennessee Division of Forestry cited Robert Harrington for “reckless burning.”  Thanks were sent out from the Jefferson County Fire Departments expressing their gratitude to all First Responders and Volunteers that worked to extinguish the large and potentially greatly destructive fire.