ORNL, TN Forestry crews start controlled burns for training purposes [Video]

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Do not be alarmed if you see smoke in the East Tennessee Technology Park and Dyllis Orchard Road area. 

The city of Oak Ridge announced that crews from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Tennessee Division of Forestry will begin controlled burns from Tuesday to Thursday.

According to the city, the controlled burn plans were approved for wildlife habitat improvement, fuel reduction and the support of kudzu management in the Dyllis Management Unit and the Gallaher Bend Management Units.

Personnel from the Tennessee Division of Forestry will conduct the burns and maintain fire control equipment and trained personnel at the burn site during the burn, the city said.

For the Dyllis Unit, burns will be conducted twice daily as training events to demonstrate wildfire suppression tactics. These will start daily …