Great Smoky Mountains National Park uncontained Flint Gap Fire grows to 28 acres

The Flint Gap Fire that was started by lightning on Aug. 26 is still not contained and continues to burn slowly in a remote area of Great Smoky Mountain National Park, according to the National Park Service.

The fire, primarily in undergrowth in steep terrain, is estimated to be 28 acres and has grown minimally over the last several days because of high humidity and lack of strong winds and shaded terrain, NPS shared in an update Sept. 11. Visible smoke has increased, however, due to an inversion lifting and the relative humidity decreasing.

Some rain is expected this weekend, which will likely slow but not extinguish the fire due to the dense tree canopy and thick layer leaves and plant material in this area, NPS explained. The acreage of the fire could grow as weather conditions change with the fall season.

Park service and the fire management team members are working to safely and effectively suppress the fire. Because the fire is burning in very steep, backcountry terrain with dense tree cover, it takes firefighters more than two hours on foot to reach the fire from either Parsons Branch Road or from Abrams Creek and there are no options to create a helispot for quickly evacuating firefighters in case of injury, according to the NPS update.

Parson Branch Road as well as some park trails and backcountry campsites are currently closed due to fire activity. The park website has information on road closures and other updates. It is advised to check these updates before visiting.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Flint Gap Fire grows to 28 acres