Fall Wildfire Season is Here. You Can Help Make it Uneventful.
Help protect the A.T. landscape, the wildlife that calls the Trail home, and other hikers by taking extra precautions with campfires and camp stoves.
Read MoreDo your part to prevent wildfires
In the past few years, there have been several wildfires on the A.T. Learn how to prevent wildfires and stay safe if one starts on the Trail. Nearly 85% of wildfires are caused by humans. Here are some simple ways to avoid starting one.
Wally Blair
Follow all burn bans and campfire regulations
Check our Trail Updates page for temporary burn bans and our Camping Regulations page for campfire rules along the A.T. Campfires are never allowed along the A.T. in New Jersey or Connecticut, and other states like Virginia and Pennsylvania have seasonal bans.
Take extra caution during times of high fire danger
Hot and/or dry and/or windy weather increases the risk of wildfires. Check the weather before you hit the Trail and look for “red flag” warnings and fire advisories. A red flag warning means that an area is experiencing the highest danger of wildfire. Be extra careful with camp stoves and cigarettes during these conditions.
Don’t have a campfire
Use a camp stove with an on/off valve to cook with and carry a small electric or solar lantern or fake candle for ambiance. A headlamp strapped to the bottom of a full water bottle also casts a nice light.
If you do have a campfire:
- Do so only where allowed and in a designated ring. Designated rings are usually large stone or metal fire rings near shelters or in the middle of official campsites.
- Never burn trash.
- Never leave your fire unattended.
- Make sure the fire is completely out and cold before leaving it.
Properly put out campfires
If you come across an abandoned campfire that is still lit/smoldering, put it out and report it.
How to put out your campfire or an abandoned one:
- Carefully ‘knock’ the fire down with a stick (or metal trowel) until only small or no flames are present. If large logs were used, very carefully move them to the center of the fire (if possible; if not, douse them thoroughly with water where they are).
- Mix the hot coals, underlying dirt, ash, and mineral soil with the stick/trowel while steadily trickling water over it.
- Place your hand, palm down, over the mixture without touching it to test for heat. If it’s still hot, repeat step 2 until it’s no longer hot.
- Once the mixture is no longer too hot to touch, continue to trickle water over it while carefully and methodically stirring the mixture until it’s cold to the touch. If you encounter hot spots, douse the ashes with additional water. If you used a stick to stir the mixture, make sure it’s also cold.
- Once the fire is completely out, use the remaining water to rinse your hand.
Report abandoned campfires via ATC’s Incident Report. Smokey Bear thanks you for your thoroughness!
Leave No Trace
What to do if there’s a wildfire on the A.T.
Wildfires can start suddenly and spread quickly. Learn how to stay safe.
Before you leave for the Trail, check for wildfire closures
Our Trail Updates page will have the latest wildfire related warnings and closures. You can also sign up for alerts on ATCamp to receive text/email alerts if a fire-related closure starts. Tip for folks at home: you can sign up for ATCamp alerts without registering a hike! The ATC also shares urgent trail alerts on our social media accounts.
Evacuate
Leave the area as quickly and safely as possible, even if that means taking a side trail or backtracking. With the right wind and fuel conditions, a wildfire can spread much faster than a human can run.
The Pacific Crest Trail Association has a thorough article on what to do if you encounter a wildfire on the Trail. While geared toward western hiking, much of the information still applies on the A.T.
Report the fire
Once you are in a safe location, call 911 to report the fire. Make sure you have as precise a location as possible using waypoints like shelters, road crossings, summits, rivers, etc. Remember, most 911 operators won’t know Trail mileage. Always include a Trail feature along with the mileage when reporting a wildfire or other incident.
Once reported to the appropriate authorities, complete an ATC Incident Report if you’re able.
Matts Creek Fire. Photo by USFS.
Not sure if the smoke you’re seeing is wildfire?
If you see smoke ahead or on a nearby ridge and don’t know whether or not it’s a wildfire, calling 911 is still appropriate. The dispatchers will know who to contact to determine if the smoke is from something like a prescribed burn or not.
You can also contact the local fire department if you know what county you’re in or contact the local land manager (e.g. National Forest, National Park Service, state game land or park, etc.) if you know whose land you’re on. Otherwise, calling 911 is the fastest way to get connected with the right agency.
Prescribed Burns
Prescribed burns are planned, controlled burns done by trained firefighters and land management agency personnel (U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, etc.). Prescribed burns are important tools for preventing wildfires by burning fuels in a controlled way before disaster strikes. Prescribed burns also help control the spread of disease and invasive species, maintain critical habitat, renew soil nutrients, and more.
Read more about prescribed burns and their benefits on the U.S. Forest Service website.
Prescribed burn season on the A.T. is typically in the spring before “leaf out” (when deciduous tree leaves unfurl) and fall after leaves have fallen, and most happen on national forests and large swaths of National Park Service land: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia (including Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks); and in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Prescribed Burn at Beauty Spot. Photo by USFS District Ranger Jen Barnhart
ATC posts planned burns on our Trail Updates page. Keep in mind, though, that prescribed burns are weather dependent, and advanced notice is not always possible. Prescribed burns on the Trail will have guards or signage posted at either end of the burn to warn/stop hikers. Always follow instructions from fire crews and posted signs. Temporary closures due to prescribed burns typically only last a few hours but could last a couple of days for larger burns. If thru-hikers need to skip a section due to a burn, they are still eligible to apply for our 2,000-miler program.
