Knoxville, TN – A broad portion of the Tennessee–North Carolina–Virginia region faces an elevated fire risk this afternoon into early evening as gusty winds combine with low humidity, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) Morristown. The dry and breezy setup could allow fires to grow out of control quickly across mountain, foothill, and valley locations.
According to NWS Morristown, south to southwest winds will increase to 5–15 mph, with frequent gusts reaching 15–25 mph during peak afternoon heating. At the same time, relative humidity will fall into the upper 20s to mid-30s, creating an environment supportive of rapid fire spread if any ignition occurs.
The elevated fire danger covers a large area stretching from the Cumberland Plateau through the Tennessee Valley and into the Smoky Mountains, extending into western North Carolina and portions of southwest Virginia. This includes communities such as Knoxville, Chattanooga, Morristown, Cleveland, Athens, Sevierville, Johnson City, Kingsport, Elizabethton, and Bristol on both sides of the state line. Mountain communities including Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Cades Cove, Unicoi, and Roan Mountain are also included.
Forecasters warn that even small fires may become difficult to control under these conditions. Residents planning outdoor burning are urged to contact local permitting authorities and strongly consider postponing any activity involving open flames or sparks.
NWS officials advise using extreme caution with equipment, grilling, power tools, trailer chains, and discarded cigarettes—any of which can ignite dry vegetation. Conditions are expected to be most hazardous from early afternoon through sunset, when humidity reaches its lowest levels and winds peak.
Fire risk will gradually diminish after sunset as winds weaken and humidity recovers.
