Great Smoky Mountains National Park firefighters are still actively involved in containing the 200 acre "Jesse James Fire" that began in the Big Creek area of the Park near Waterville, N.C., on Monday.
      Fire managers hope that rainy weather predicted for today and tonight will help to halt the spread of the fire.  Firefighters today are monitoring the fire and are removing hazards such as dead snags and partially burned trees from around public facilities to make safe to reopen when the fire poses no further danger. The entire Big Creek part of the Park is closed at the Park gate along NC 284. The closure bars any access to the following trails and facilities: Big Creek Trail, Baxter Creek Trail, Chestnut Branch Trail, the Big Creek Picnic Area, and the Big Creek Campground and Horse Camp.
      The fire grew actively late Wednesday when 10-15 mile per hour winds and high day temperatures in the 80s and 90s increased the fire activity and pushed it towards the Park's Big Creek Entrance Road and facilities. To protect those facilities, firefighters intentionally burned out about a 40-acre area along the Big Creek Trail and along a small creek to deprive the fire of the leaf litter and brush in the fire's path.
      The portion of the Appalachian Trail south of the fire remains open and can be accessed at Davenport Gap.  Also backcountry campsites 36, 37 and 38 in the area are open but must be reached via other routes including Swallow Fork, Low Gap, of Camel Gap Trails.
      Fire managers will evaluate the fire activity on Friday and determine whether it will be safe to reopen the facilities over the weekend.
      Park officials have determined the fire was human caused, not weather related, but have not confirmed the source of the fire.

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