Wildfires swept across eastern Tennessee on March 30 and 31, 2022, causing destruction of thousands of acres of land and damaging hundreds of structures, with the heaviest damage occurring in Sevier County. As of April 5, the majority of the fires have been extinguished or contained. The main fires reportedly are the Hatcher Mountain/Indigo Lane Fire, Millstone Gap/Seymour Fire, Cold Springs Fire, and Wears Valley Fire, with the involved zip codes including 37732, 37738, 37764, 37862, 37863, 37865, 37871, and 37876.
Extremely dry land and severe winds were reported, with high winds knocking down power lines and trees throughout the state. Information on these numerous wildfires is contained at the Tennessee Division of Forestry website. The below map shows the locations of each wildfire.
Map Courtesy of the Tennessee Division of Forestry
There are numerous potential causes for each fire, including downed power lines resulting from the above referenced high wind conditions. At this time, all of these wildfires are under active investigation.
