• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds


 







Two forest fires burn near Petros

Posted at 9:11 pm November 23, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

highway-62-fire-4-nov-23-2016-web

The Little Brushy fire burns on a ridge above Highway 62 near Petros-Joyner School and the intersection with Highway 116 on Wednesday evening, Nov. 23, 2016. The fire is a few miles south of Petros. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:15 a.m. Nov. 24.

PETROS—One forest fire that has burned close to 800 acres since Sunday had scorched down to the north side of Petros by Wednesday evening, and a second nearby mountain fire that residents said started Wednesday morning billowed smoke across a section of Highway 62 south of Petros, near Petros-Joyner School in Morgan County.

The first fire, the one that firefighters have been battling since Sunday, is the Bald Knob Road fire. It’s named for a road that runs east out of Petros. It had charred 790 acres as of noon Wednesday, according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry. The fire is a suspected arson, and it was 60 percent contained on Wednesday afternoon. On Wednesday evening, firefighters appeared to have set back fires, which they use to contain blazes, near several homes in Petros, including off Armes Road in north Petros.

That fire had grown from what was reported to be a few hundred acres on Monday, when it emitted a smoke plume that could be seen for miles, including in Oak Ridge, to about 450 acres on Tuesday. It had almost doubled in size by Wednesday.

Residents said they noticed the other fire on a ridge above Petros-Joyner School near the intersection of Highway 62 and Highway 116 as early as about 11 a.m. Wednesday. By 5 p.m., that fire, which was called the Little Brushy fire, was pumping harsh, irritating smoke across Highway 62 and reducing visibility on a short section of the road between Petros and Oliver Springs in Morgan County. There are homes and businesses below the fire.

The Little Brushy fire is maybe five miles south of the Bald Knob Road fire, with Petros in between.

Advertisement

The cause of the second fire and its size were not immediately available Wednesday night. It’s a new fire and not yet listed on the regularly updated list of fires in Tennessee.

Among those who appeared to be responding to the fires in the Petros area on Wednesday were the Tennessee Division of Forestry and firefighters from Petros. Residents reported seeing and hearing helicopters earlier in the day, and they said the helicopters had scooped up water at the Brushy Mountain Reservoir.

Petros residents have said the air has been smoky at night and in the morning, including because of the Bald Knob Road fire and another earlier fire in Anderson County. They said they’ve stayed indoors some days and not been able to see the mountains at times.

Wade Teague, owner of Wade’s Body Shop on Highway 62 near the Highway 116 turnoff to Petros, said ashes from the Bald Knob Road fire have come down like snowflakes that you can see on cars. That’s affected car wash jobs at his body shop.

Firefighters have been battling anywhere from about 50 to 90 fires at a time across Tennessee this month as a drought persists. The Tennessee Division of Forestry reported 59 active fires on Wednesday afternoon that have burned 18,818 acres.

Oak Ridge Today has previously reported that a half-dozen fires since the beginning of this month have burned more than 4,000 acres in mountainous north Anderson County, mostly in rough, rugged terrain off Highway 116. Highway 116 connects to Highway 62 in Morgan County, runs through Petros and the New River valley in Anderson County, and connects to Highway 330 (Frost Bottom Road) on the eastern end, east of Oliver Springs.

There is also a newer fire listed in Anderson County off Beech Grove Road in the mountains northwest of Rocky Top. That fire was about 213 acres, a suspected arson, and 100 percent contained, according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry, which initially responded Saturday.

About half of the fires in Tennessee this year have been suspected arsons. Six of the seven fires in Anderson County are now suspected arsons. The Tennessee wildfires have cost an estimated $5.5 million, according to an Associated Press report.

bald-knob-road-fire-nov-23-2016-web

Firefighters appeared to be using back fires to keep the Bald Knob Road fire away from homes off Armes Road on the north side of Petros on Wednesday evening, Nov. 23, 2016. Firefighters have been battling the roughly 800-acre blaze, which started near the Anderson County-Morgan County line, since Sunday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Air quality alerts have been issued this month because of the fires, and firefighters have come in from other states to help battle the blazes. Other states in the Southeast have also been fighting fires, including in western North Carolina.

A light rain fell in Oak Ridge on Wednesday evening, but it wasn’t clear if it would be enough to help firefighters. Previous light rains haven’t helped, according to firefighters.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

See this previous story for information on a regional burn ban declared by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and information about a reward of $2,500 for a tip that leads to an arson arrest and conviction.

See a fire location map by the Tennessee Division of Forestry here.

See a list of active fires here.

See a map of Petros, which is north of Oak Ridge on Highway 62, here.

highway-62-fire-3-nov-23-2016-web

The Little Brushy fire burns on a ridge above Highway 62 near Petros-Joyner School and the intersection with Highway 116 on Wednesday evening, Nov. 23, 2016. The fire is a few miles south of Petros. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

highway-62-fire-smoke-nov-23-2016-web

A fire on a ridge above Highway 62 and Petros-Joyner School blew smoke across the highway, reducing visibility on a section of road between Petros and Oliver Springs, early Wednesday evening, Nov. 23, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Advertisement



highway-62-forest-fire-1-nov-23-2016-web

The Little Brushy fire burns on a ridge above Highway 62 near Petros-Joyner School and the intersection with Highway 116 on Wednesday evening, Nov. 23, 2016. The fire is a few miles south of Petros. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

highway-62-forest-fire-2-nov-23-2016-web

The Little Brushy fire burns on a ridge above Highway 62 near Petros-Joyner School and the intersection with Highway 116 on Wednesday evening, Nov. 23, 2016. The fire is a few miles south of Petros. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Do you appreciate this story or our work in general? If so, please consider a monthly subscription to Oak Ridge Today. See our Subscribe page here. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: Fire, Petros, Police and Fire, Slider, Tennessee Tagged With: Anderson County, arson, Bald Knob Road fire, Bill Haslam, burn ban, fire, firefighters, forest fire, Highway 116, Highway 62, Little Brushy fire, Morgan County, mountain fire, Petros, Petros-Joyner School, Tennessee Division of Forestry, Tennessee wildfires, Wade Teague, wildfire

Advertisements

 

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Police and Fire News

Police chief to speak to League of Women Voters on Tuesday

Robin Smith Oak Ridge Police Chief Robin Smith will speak to the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge on Tuesday. The meeting will be virtual, conducted online, because of COVID-19. It is scheduled to start at noon … [Read More...]

U.S. Department of Energy Logo

Controlled burns start this week on DOE land

The U.S. Department of Energy is starting a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation this week. The controlled burns could continue through mid-April, depending upon weather. The … [Read More...]

Oak Ridge man charged with second robbery

Tyrone Partridge An Oak Ridge man has been charged with a second robbery, this one of a gas station in Claxton. Partridge, 43, had already been charged by the Oak Ridge Police Department this month with the robbery … [Read More...]

Oak Ridge Police Department Badge

Oak Ridge man arrested after alleged store robbery

An Oak Ridge man was arrested Sunday night after allegedly robbing the J & C Market on East Tennessee Avenue, police said. Tyrone N. Partridge, 43, reportedly displayed a handgun and demanded the contents of the … [Read More...]

Woman dies in Clinton crash

A 37-year-old woman died in a two-vehicle crash in Clinton on Friday, according to WYSH Radio in Clinton. The head-on collision was reported Friday evening on North Main Street in front of the Anderson County Health … [Read More...]

More Police and Fire

Recent Posts

  • Council to consider accepting airport grants
  • Police chief to speak to League of Women Voters on Tuesday
  • Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will feature ORHS principal
  • Controlled burns start this week on DOE land
  • Current status of city facilities due to COVID
  • Rep. Fleischmann tests positive for COVID
  • Oak Ridge man charged with second robbery
  • Mason, an IDB member, community volunteer, dies of COVID complications
  • Tammy Dunn appointed Oak Ridge city attorney
  • Which Wich closes

Recent Comments

  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Mark Caldwell on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Mark Caldwell on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Tracy Powers on Planning Commission to consider Main Street apartments, plan revisions
  • johnhuotari on Four incumbents re-elected to Oak Ridge City Council
  • Levi D. Smith on Four incumbents re-elected to Oak Ridge City Council
  • samuel hopwood on Housing: Apartments proposed on former AMSE site
  • Matt Bailey on Robin Smith named Oak Ridge police chief

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2021 Oak Ridge Today