Federal agency imposes fire restrictions in Cherokee National Forest

Forecasters are predicting rain for this weekend but the USDA Forest Service is being proactive with Stage 1 fire restrictions through the four-state region of the entire Cherokee National Forest until further notice beginning Friday.

Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire outside of developed recreation sites is prohibited, according to the agency. The district currently has a wildfire stretching across 650 acres near the Hiwassee River in Birchwood.

Preparing food on portable gas stoves or grills and campfires within a metal ring are still allowed within Cherokee properties.

(IMAGE: Fire suppression plane douses chemicals on North Carolina wildfires in 2016 / Property of US Department of Agriculture’s Photostream)