Fire Danger News

NEWS RELEASES

06/30/08 - Chilhowee Mountain Wildfire Contained
10/08/07 - Fire Season, Dry Conditions Prompt Fire Safety Reminder
08/27/07 - High Fire Danger Prompts Early Burning Permit Requirement

MEDIA STORIES

Getting Tennessee Firewise  - TN Farm Bureau (3/14/08)
Hickory Tree Brush Fire Spreads to 180 Acres - Bristol Herald Courier (4/12/08)
Hundreds of Acres Charred in Johnson County, TN - WJHL Channel 11 (4/14/08)
East Tennessee Brush Fires Continue to Burn, Grow - WVLT Channel 8 (4/18/08)
Firefighters Continue Battling Brush Fires in Campbell Co. - WATE Channel 6 (4/20/08) pop-up window

DAILY FIRE REPORT

Read the Daily Fire Report to see what is happening in Tennessee. The Daily Fire Report is produced by the Division of Forestry Monday through Friday. This document requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT FIRES

MODIS Active Fire Mapping Program http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/
National Interagency Coordination Center http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/
Tennessee Division of Forestry Wild Fire Chart (PDF)

MEASURING THE THREAT WITH THE KBDI

See fire danger in your area using the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), on the USDA Forest Service website. The KBDI is a number ranging from 0 (no drought) to 800 (extreme drought). Factors in the index are maximum daily temperature, daily precipitation, antecedent precipitation, and annual precipitation. When the KBDI ranges from 0 - 200, soil moisture and large class fuel moistures are high and do not contribute much to fire intensity. This is typical of spring dormant season following winter precipitation. A KBDI of 200 - 400 is typical of late spring, early growing season. Lower litter and duff layers are drying and beginning to contribute to fire intensity. When the KBDI is 400 - 600, usually in late summer, early fall, lower litter and duff layers actively contribute to fire intensity and will burn actively. A KBDI of 600 - 800 is associated with more severe drought with increased wildfire occurrence. Intense, deep-burning fires with significant downwind spotting can be expected. Live fuels can also be expected to burn actively at these levels.

THE FIRE WEATHER FORECASTS

Weather is an important factor influencing the risk of forest fire occurrence. Wind speed, relative humidity, and length of time since the last rainfall must be considered when determining the fire danger rating. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division receives a daily Fire Weather Forecast from the National Weather Service. The forecast is presented in text format and is divided into the six districts shown at the bottom of each page.

TENNESSEE DROUGHT CONDITIONS

Keep abreast of drought conditions that dramatically increase the likelihood of wildfire at the U.S. Drought Monitor.

For the latest TN Emergency Management Drought Task Force Situation Report, visit http://www.tnema.org.