2016 fires impacted forest

Did the fires hurt wildlife?

Prescribed burning is often used as a tool to benefit wildlife by regenerating their habitat, and in the case of the slowly creeping ground fires that accounted for most of the burned area, wildlife are usually able to get out of the way as flames approach.

However, not all species are that mobile. The noonday globe snail, listed as threatened, is the focus of significant concern. The species is only known to inhabit a 99-acre area of the Nantahala Gorge, and 85 percent of those acres burned. Wildlife biologists are still assessing how the fire might have impacted its population, or if the species has some kind of mechanism — such as burrowing — available to avoid the flames.

In the short-term, other wildlife species could face hardship from the fires

Will the fires increase the chance to flooding and landslides?

The U.S. Forest Service’s Burned Area Report identified several areas where there is a high risk of flooding or landslides due to loss of vegetation and water-repellent soil.

However, even with multiple heavy rains this winter, there haven’t seemed to be any issues. Many areas that the team completing the report initially observed to have water-repellent soil seem to be absorbing water much more readily.

Is a spring fire season likely?

Typically, spring fire seasons tend to be more severe than fall fire seasons. The humidity is lower, winds are gustier, and the sap flowing through the trees makes them more volatile.

So, while fuels are pretty wet right now, the region is still in drought. The potential for a spring fire season will depend on what the weather does over the coming months.

To a degree, though, the fire season could depend on people. Of the 20-plus fires that burned through WNC last fall, only one is thought to have resulted from natural causes. Humans caused the rest, either accidentally or on purpose.

How did the fires affect the Appalachian Trail?

South of the Smokies, 58 miles of the AT run through North Carolina and are maintained by the Nantahala Hiking Club. Of those 58 miles, 26 miles were part of the burned area, according to the club.

Of those 26 miles, about 90 percent experienced pretty mild burning. About 10 percent burned hot, consuming wooden anti-erosion features on the trail and creating hazards like holes in the ground and dead trees.

What is on the U.S. Forest Service’s to do list this spring?

Rehabilitating fire lines will be a big task for the Nantahala Ranger District as the weather warms up. While firefighters made significant headway toward naturalizing the dug-up lines as fire season wound down, there are still about 30 miles of fire line that need to be dealt with.

Especially on steep slopes, non-rehabilitated fire lines lead to erosion, as there are no roots or leaves covering them to stop water from flushing the dirt downhill. They can also open up the forest to invasive plants, whose seeds can easily take root in the bare soil.

Many of the district’s roads took a pretty good beating from bearing heavy equipment all fall. And because the fire burned through two timber sale areas that were already sold, the Forest Service will have to make some adjustments to those contracts.

The Forest Service will also be addressing threats from invasive species in areas other than fire lines. Across nine fires, the Forest Service received $55,000 to prevent their spread, primarily by using herbicide.

- Smoky Mountain News