A Fire By Any Other Name…

Posted by Phil Rodgers in Gatlinburg

Many of us grew up watching those Smokey Bear public service ads on TV, the ones where he said, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.” (By the way, this is the only instance in which it's acceptable to spell “smoky” with an E, and there's no “the” in his name. It's just Smokey Bear.) In 2001, however, the U.S. Forest Service changed the wording of the slogan from “forest fires” to “wildfires.” What prompted the change? And what's the difference?

Let's focus on the difference first. “Forest fire” used to describe incidences of fires in woodland areas, usually ones that were started accidentally or spread out of control or caused unwanted damage to adjacent developed areas. But nowadays, the term “wildfire” is more descriptive of the wild, uncontrolled fires that occur not just in forests but also in fields, grass and brush. A stray spark can often ignite dried grass more easily than it can start a fire in the dried leaves of a forest floor. And once started, grass and brush fires can then spread to nearby forested land.

An example of a wildfire is the Great Smoky Mountains wildfires of 2016, which included the Gatlinburg fire. They began in late November of that year, and by December 12, they had burned more than 10,000 acres inside the national park and 6,000 acres in other parts of the area, including developed sections of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Unfortunately, in addition to property damage, many people lost their lives.

However, not all forest fires are unwanted. Thinking has changed over the decades among conservationists and forestry experts regarding the role that fires play in the life of forested areas. Fires play a vital role in keeping certain types of forests, grasslands and other landscapes healthy. Most forest ecosystems have evolved to tolerate semi-regular fires of lower intensity and be able to flourish in the aftermath. Without periodic fires, forest health and diversity can suffer. Woodlands can become so overgrown that it actually discourages the presence of native fauna, leading to the relocation or dying off of these populations.

As a result, land managers have begun implementing prescribed and controlled fires periodically to bring about necessary renewal to such ecosystems. The burning off of excess timber and forest floor materials actually encourages a new cycle of life and makes it easier for both flora and fauna to thrive in that area.

And that's why Smokey Bear now says, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires.”

And exactly HOW can we do that, you may ask?

There are things we can do as a society to decrease the risks, including working to improve our forest management techniques.

But on a more personal level, we need to be careful when making fires while camping or spending time in wooded areas. For example, campfires should be built at least 25 feet from tents, shrubs or anything that can burn. Metal screens over wood-burning fires will help keep sparks from flying around. Also, we should use chimneys, outdoor fireplaces and firepits at least 10 feet from our homes or anything that can burn.

Most importantly, we need to completely douse our embers before leaving a campfire unattended. We hope you keep these tips in the back of your mind the next time you visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park or any kind of area where outdoor fires are allowed.

And the next time you come to the Smokies, we hope you also make time to stop by Goats on the Roof in Pigeon Forge. We offer a wide range of fun for families on summer vacation, including a mountain coaster, gem mining, mini golf and, of course, our live goats on our rooftop.

Do you think if Smokey Bear ever retires, they might replace him with a goat? Smokey Goat… That does kind of have a ring to it, doesn't it?

This content posted by Goats on the Roof of the Smoky Mountains. Visit our home page, goatsontheroofofthesmokies.com for more information on the goats and their coaster.

Other blog categories:
Gatlinburg      Pigeon Forge      Pigeon Forge Attraction      Places To Eat      Sevierville      Smoky Mountains      Things to Do      Wears Valley