303 acres burned
Crews contain Rocky Top wildfire
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A National Guard helicopter scoops water out of Norris Lake on Friday (March 28) to drop on a wildfire in the Beech Grove area near Rocky Top.
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Rocky Top Fire Department crews respond to a wildfire in the Beech Grove area just northwest of the city on Friday.
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Soldiers from Knoxville’s 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion load a Bambi Bucket into a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to support wildfire response in the Rocky Top area on Friday morning (March 28). Bambi Buckets are used to provide hundreds of gallons of water from local area water sources to combat wildfires.
Tennessee’s Division of Forestry and local firefighting crews, assisted by Tennessee Army National Guard helicopters and their crews, were able to bring a wildfire on a ridge above Rocky Top under control Saturday evening after fighting the blaze since Wednesday.
Their efforts are credited with containing the fire, which was in the Beech Grove area, to about 303 acres of woodland, while preventing any injuries or loss of homes or other structures.
Sunday’s rain, which continued into Monday, extinguished any remaining fire hot spots.
At the request of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, the National Guard on Friday sent two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport’s 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion to drop water scooped from the nearby Norris Lake on the fire.
Each aircraft was equipped with a Bambi Bucket, which is able to carry hundreds of gallons of water to dump onto fires.
The Army helicopters were flown in “just as a preventative measure to drop water on inaccessible areas,” said Bruce Miller of the Division of Forestry.
They arrived about 9:30 a.m. Friday, and remained on the scene all day.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol also responded to the scene Friday to assist with traffic control on Main Street in Rocky Top.
Smoke from the fire coming off the ridge immediately west of Rocky Top could be spotted along Interstate 75 and beyond as the fire raged for the most part of four days.
Fire departments responding to the incident included Rocky Top, Medford, Andersonville, Norris, Briceville, Claxton and others.
“We would also like to extend a heartfelt gratitude to the community for donating food, drinks, snacks, and other essential items during long hours of work and exhaustive days,” the Anderson County Emergency Management Agency said.
A large wildfire on a ridge overlooking Rocky Top a few miles south of this area burned nearly 400 acres in November 2023, but also caused no injuries, and was prevented from damaging any homes or other structures.
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