by Jim Matheny
Millions of visitors enjoyed the lush green landscape of Cades Cove throughout the spring and summer of 2025. The vibrant canvas loaded with native grasses received a spark in early February from prescribed fires funded by your support of Friends of the Smokies.
Flying drones in the park while setting 1,400 acres of Cades Cove on fire is normally frowned upon, to say the least. Yet, the park was all smiles when it was the expert behavior of Trevor Wallace and the fire staff in the Great Smoky Mountains. Wallace oversaw the prescribed fires that preserve the habitat and history of Cades Cove.
See video of the prescribed fire on our YouTube channel.
“The fire treatment restores native grasses and preserves the open areas in Cades Cove. It’s one of the best ways to stop the forest from encroaching and taking over the meadows,” said Wallace, a fire management officer stationed in the park. “In just a few weeks after the fire, you’ll never know this was burned”
Donations to Friends of the Smokies provided $47,000 in 2025 to fund prescribed fires along with $31,500 for other field restoration projects in Cades Cove.
Wallace and a crew of 25 set the area between Hyatt Lane and Sparks Lane ablaze with an eye on improving safety in case of an unplanned fire.
“The prescribed fire treatments help reduce the amount of fuel on the ground in case of a wildfire,” said Wallace. “If there is a fire, it will be much lower intensity.”
The fire crew operates a drone that can observe the wildfire from above, measure the temperature of the blaze, as well as drop “dragon eggs” to start new fires on the ground.
“The drone can release the little ‘dragon egg’ spheres that contain a mixture that starts a timed-release ignition,” Wallace said. “It really helps save time because it can reach interior areas of the fire zone where it would be difficult for someone to walk through briars and burn by hand.”
The grass is truly greener on the other side of the fire. The burned fields add nutrients to the soil that help native grasses regrow stronger and healthier. The vibrant results bring smiles to millions of visitors to Cades Cove.
“It only takes a few weeks for there to be no sign the land was burned,” said Wallace. “By the time spring rolls around, it’s lush for the wildlife, plant life, and the visitors who come out to enjoy this beautiful place.”
About Friends of the Smokies
Friends of the Smokies is the official nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through private donations, fundraising events, and specialty license plates in North Carolina and Tennessee, Friends of the Smokies raises money to fund needed projects and programs in the national park that would otherwise go unfunded.
Learn more about how to get a Friends of the Smokies license plate at BearPlate.org. You can make a direct tax-deductible donation at our website. We are also grateful for those who pitch in at our donation boxes throughout the park. Every gift makes a significant difference for our beloved Smokies. Thank you, Friends!
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