Great Smoky Mountains National Park crews have wrapped up a prescribed burn at Cades Cove, just across the North Carolina–Tennessee state line.
Park officials say the burn treated about 900 acres and is designed to keep open fields from becoming overgrown with woody vegetation. The goal is to protect Cades Cove’s historic landscape while also supporting wildlife that depends on open habitat — including deer, wild turkey, pollinators, and ground-nesting birds.
The park says without periodic fire, the area would gradually transition to forest, reducing biodiversity. Visitors may start seeing signs of regrowth this spring.
