Smoky haze from controlled burn puzzles Forest Service
Smoky haze from controlled burn puzzles Forest Service
20 March 2006
published by www.citizen-times.com
ASHEVILLE – U.S. Forest Service officials say they never expected smoke from a controlled burn in Tennessee to hover over Asheville Saturday, and they aren’t sure what atmospheric conditions caused the smoke to travel so far.
You guys were over 30 miles from our prescribed burn. Thats a long distance for smoke to stay together and not disperse, said Marty Bentley, assistant fire management officer for the Cherokee National Forest.
The Forest Service burned about 1,800 acres in on Brush Creek Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest about nine miles southeast ofNewport, Tenn., Saturday.
The smell of smoke from the fire prompted about 1,000 calls to Buncombe County emergency workers Saturday. The smoke also sent some residents scrambling to get indoors.
“I dont know why that happened. It should have never happened,” Bentley said.
