Forestry officials say Lookout Mountain wildland fire 100% out

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. (WDEF) – A more than 20-acre fire that burned for about a week and a half on Lookout Mountain is now considered 100% contained.

The National Park Service determined the cause of the fire was an illegal campfire on the bluff.

Federal charges are pending and an investigation is ongoing.

On Monday, July 11, a wildland fire was reported on the western slope of Lookout Mountain.

It was located within the boundaries of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, southwest of Covenant College.

Personnel from the Georgia Forestry Commission, the West Brow Fire and Rescue, the United States Forest Service, and the National Park Service have worked diligently to suppress the fire.

Currently, a crew has been left behind to monitor the situation for the next several days, and officials report trail closures on Lookout Mountain on the western slope remain in effect until further notice for the southern portion of the Bluff Trail, the Jackson Gap Trail, and the John Smartt Trail.

Authorities say the success experienced in containing this wildland fire was greatly aided by the participation of private landowners near the park boundary who supported efforts to create defensible spaces around their homes.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can make your neighborhood safer from wildland fire, please visit the “Firewise Communities” website maintained by the National Fire Protection Association.