Arson blamed for massive fire atop mountain
A wildfire set by an arsonist scorched over 1,000 acres of land on Harrison Ferry Mountain Monday, sending up a plume of smoke visible from downtown McMinnville.
“This was intentionally set, right in the middle of a clear-cut section,” said Wayne Davenport of the Tennessee Department of Forestry, who, along with 20 other forestry agents, fought the fire for almost 12 hours, beginning shortly after noon Monday.
Davenport said the affected section was in neighboring Van Buren County, in a remote area which runs between Wash Roberts Road and Rocky River Road. Bulldozers were used to dig a fire break around the wildfire while firefighters stood guard around the few structures in the area. No structures were harmed by the fire and, for the most part, the areas burned were part of a clear-cut section so grass and dead brush were the main kindling.
“It was a hot one. I had some calls from people in the area, asking if they should evacuate,” Davenport said. “We had some flames going up about 30 feet and we had a little trouble getting out in front of it because it was moving pretty fast. It was jumping logging roads like they weren’t even there. The wind was whipping up around 15 miles per hour and that was pushing it pretty fast.”
Davenport explained that forestry officials generally use bulldozers to cut fire breaks around wildfires to rob the fire of its fuel. Transporting any large amount of water to a fire scene in a remote location is somewhat unrealistic unless it is done by aerial units. Forestry firefighters generally cut a fire break alongside the fire and work their way toward the head of the fire.
Davenport said the fire was under control by the late evening hours Monday and agriculture investigators were already on the scene trying to determine what and who started the fire.
Reward offered
There is a standing reward for information on forest arsonists. Call 635-2754.