Dragon brush fire fighting effort focuses on contain

[TexasRed]

Fire crews continue their fight Thursday against a brush fire just off US 129, also known as "the Dragon."

The rocky, steep terrain is changing the way firefighters have to approach this fire. It makes digging fire-lines unsafe and impractical, so firefighters are using a network of existing roads to contain the fire.

Thursday morning, 10 National Park Service firefighters and six Bureau of Indian Services firefighters remained on-site to continue containment efforts.

The fire is burning about five miles south of the intersection of US 129 and the Foothills Parkway. No structures are threatened.

Forestry teams from Blount and Monroe counties were called in to fight the fires Wednesday, as were the Blount County and Loudon County fire departments.

At least 15 acres have already burned, and the fire is expected to burn through Thursday afternoon.

The recent rainfall is not making firefighters' job any easier.

"When it rains, we've still got a lot of dead debris up there, and even though that dead debris gets some moisture in it, as soon as the sun and wind hits it, it drys out very quickly, and that's what happened on the side of this mountain," Blount County Fire Chief Doug McClanahan said.

That fire got started after a motorcyclist crashed, and his motorcycle caught fire.

As for the motorcyclist who crashed, officials said he got up and walked away without any serious injuries.