---
attributes: ~
caption: "In autumn 2016, a prolonged dry period and arson in the southern Appalachian region resulted in 50 major wildfires that burned over 100,000 acres in 8 states, caused 15 deaths, and damaged or destroyed nearly 2,500 structures in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. If drought or prolonged dry periods increase in this region as expected, fire risk will increase in both forests and local communities. Photo credit: Flickr user highlander411 <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode'>[CC BY 2.0]</a>"
chapter:
  doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH6
  identifier: forests
  number: 6
  report_identifier: nca4
  sort_key: 106
  title: Forests
  url: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/6
chapter_identifier: forests
cited_by: []
contributors:
  - href: https://data.globalchange.gov/contributor/34897.yaml
    id: 34897
    organization:
      country_code: US
      identifier: us-forest-service-southern-research-station
      international: ~
      name: U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station
      organization_type_identifier: federal
      url: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/index.html
    organization_uri: /organization/us-forest-service-southern-research-station
    person:
      first_name: James M.
      id: 2004
      last_name: Vose
      middle_name: ~
      orcid: ~
      url: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/staff/614
    person_id: 2004
    person_uri: /person/2004
    role_type_identifier: point_of_contact
    uri: /contributor/34897
create_dt: 2017-05-23T16:41:15
files:
  - file: ab/54/a158848e5856a8faba7c9599ec06/Gatlinburg_flickr_highlander411_smaller.jpg
    href: https://data.globalchange.gov/assets/ab/54/a158848e5856a8faba7c9599ec06/Gatlinburg_flickr_highlander411_smaller.jpg
    identifier: ffcc407b-a137-4ee6-8aaa-37950068d5cf
    landing_page: ~
    location: ~
    mime_type: image/jpeg
    sha1: 7c963e205e4941cfbdc0b693db0980490995d6ba
    size: 237210
    thumbnail: ab/54/a158848e5856a8faba7c9599ec06/.thumb-ffcc407b-a137-4ee6-8aaa-37950068d5cf.png
    thumbnail_href: https://data.globalchange.gov/assets/ab/54/a158848e5856a8faba7c9599ec06/.thumb-ffcc407b-a137-4ee6-8aaa-37950068d5cf.png
    uri: /file/ffcc407b-a137-4ee6-8aaa-37950068d5cf
    url: /assets/ab/54/a158848e5856a8faba7c9599ec06/Gatlinburg_flickr_highlander411_smaller.jpg
gcmd_keywords:
  - definition: 'Areas in which vegetation is dominated by trees with their crowns overlapping, generally forming 60 - 100% cover.'
    href: https://data.globalchange.gov/gcmd_keyword/46e4aaa4-349c-4049-a910-035391360010.yaml
    identifier: 46e4aaa4-349c-4049-a910-035391360010
    label: FORESTS
    parent_identifier: 9361962c-cfc7-4428-8843-b3502718c382
    uri: /gcmd_keyword/46e4aaa4-349c-4049-a910-035391360010
  - definition: 'An uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, vegetation fire, and veldfire may be used to describe the same phenomenon depending on the type of vegetation being burned. A wildfire differs from other fires by its extensive size, the speed at which it can spread out from its original source, its potential to change direction unexpectedly, and its ability to jump gaps such as roads, rivers and fire breaks. Wildfires are characterized in terms of the cause of ignition, their physical properties such as speed of propagation, the combustible material present, and the effect of weather on the fire.'
    href: https://data.globalchange.gov/gcmd_keyword/868b87a1-d8c2-49b3-8bbd-9cbbed115271.yaml
    identifier: 868b87a1-d8c2-49b3-8bbd-9cbbed115271
    label: WILDFIRES
    parent_identifier: ec0e2762-f57a-4fdc-b395-c8d7d5590d18
    uri: /gcmd_keyword/868b87a1-d8c2-49b3-8bbd-9cbbed115271
href: https://data.globalchange.gov/report/nca4/chapter/forests/figure/forests-graphic_gatlinburg_tn.yaml
identifier: forests-graphic_gatlinburg_tn
images:
  - attributes: ~
    create_dt: 2017-05-23T16:41:15
    description: ~
    identifier: f09358ad-4a0b-48de-bdd1-8f7fd01cacc0
    lat_max: ~
    lat_min: ~
    lon_max: ~
    lon_min: ~
    position: ~
    submission_dt: 2018-11-30T15:23:19
    time_end: ~
    time_start: ~
    title: 'Fire Damage in Gatlinburg, Tennessee'
    url: ~
    usage_limits: Figure may be copyright protected and permission may be required. Contact original figure source for information
kindred_figures: []
lat_max: ~
lat_min: ~
lon_max: ~
lon_min: ~
ordinal: 3
parents: []
references: []
regions: []
report_identifier: nca4
source_citation: ~
submission_dt: 2018-11-30T15:23:19
time_end: ~
time_start: ~
title: 'Fire Damage in Gatlinburg, Tennessee'
uri: /report/nca4/chapter/forests/figure/forests-graphic_gatlinburg_tn
url: ~
usage_limits: Figure may be copyright protected and permission may be required. Contact original figure source for information