2016 fall wildfire season - Southeast U.S.

Knowing that areas in the Southeastern United States have been rather dry for several weeks, I wanted to post something about the numerous wildfires in the Southeast.

I start off with this map that from Google Earth showing current large incidents (wildfires) on November 9, 2016.

Accessed via kml file from Active Fire Mapping Program: http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/ (fire data in Google Earth)

I wanted to say something about the size and containment information on some of these fires, knowing that I may not be able to easily correlate the above map with some basic fire statistics. To that end, I have compiled the acreage on some of large fires (as of November 8, 2016) from the Southern Area Coordination Center’s Morning Report for November 9, 2016, New Large ICS-209 Incidents on pp 1-3. I am, hopefully, including a listing of wildfires at or below 50 percent containment on the date of the Morning Briefing. Any errors in transcribing this data are mine. I don't have statistics for every fire on the map, and some of the fires listed below are not mapped. This was a useful exercise because it gave me an appreciation for the number of wildfires that have burned in the southeast this fall. Several wildfires, not listed below are either fully contained or are near being fully contained.

LARGE INCIDENTS (11/8/16), AT OR BELOW 50% CONTAINMENT

SACC MORNING REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 9, 2016

Virginia Raven Rock: incident VA-VAF-000255. started November 2, 2016. 2,453 acres at 25% containment. 1 commercial and 1 outbuilding have been destroyed.

North Carolina

• Party Rock: incident NC-NCG-160031. started November 5, 2016, 320 acres at 15% containment.
• Freebee Memorial: incident NC-NCF-160299. started November 5, 2016. at least 1,132 acres at 0% containment.
• Tellico: incident NC-NCF-160280. started November 3, 2016. at least1,835 acres at 25% containment.
• Maple Springs: incident NC-NCF-160295. started November 4, 2016. at least 3,500 acres at 9% containment.
• Avey Branch: incident NC-NCF-160293. started November 4, 2016. at least 1,200 acres at 18% containment.
• Boteler: incident NC-NCF-160247. started October 25, 3016. 1,713 acres at 30% containment.
• Washington’s Creek: incident NC-ECA-000029. started November 7, 2016. 100 acres at 50% containment.
• Knob: incident NC-NCF-160275. started November 3, 2016. 644 acres at 28% containment.

Tennessee Flippers Bend: incident TN-TNS-CD0016. started November 5, 2016. at least 350 acres at 50% containment.

Georgia Rough Ridge (c): incident GA-CHF-160052. started October 16, 2016. at least 6,407 acres at 11% containment.

Arkansas Mountain Creek: incident AR-OZF-000517. started November 2, 2016. Approximately 441 acres at 50% containment.

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Some additional sources of information (links to media may expire after several days, all links live on the date I first posted this article):

Wildfire Today, November 9, 2016, Wildfire smoke in the southeast United States.

Wildfire Today, November 7 2016, Very dry autumn brings numerous wildfires to the southeast.

Post and Courier News on smoke plumes from wildfires in TN, NC, and VA.

WNCN on evacuations in North Carolina mountains.

WLOS on three airtankers working wildfires, information on wildfires in North Carolina mountains.