The wildfire that started April 12 has spread to 1,100 acres as of Monday morning. Forest officials say crews have contained 72% of the fire as of this weekend.
Firefighters have been burning out nearby brush and grass to keep the fire from spreading. Some tourist areas have been reopened, including Alum Ford Road, boat launch and campground along with the Yahoo Falls Road and parking area. Other areas, like the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail, are still closed to the public.
Daniel Boone National Forest Public Affairs Officer Mary O’Malley said high winds caused the fire to spread farther than most the forest service is used to.
“It is a large fire here for Eastern Kentucky, but maybe not a large fire in the context of the United States. But it is more complex than what we usually deal with,” she said.
Crews are expected to stay in the area to "mop up" hot spots that are smoldering or smoking. Rain is forecasted to move through the area this weekend.
“Our folks will stay on the ground. They'll continue to monitor containment, and they'll continue to mop up, and mopping up happens all the way through any type of incident response,” O’Malley said.
The U.S. Forest Service is restricting open burns and campfires in the meantime. That includes building or maintaining any open fires, campfires or stove fires outside any designated area.
