Franklin State Forest on the Marion-Franklin county line has been reopened as a vandalism and theft investigation continues and a $10,000 reward for information stemming from an incident in July remains in place.
Public access resumed Monday after a temporary closure for the investigation into damage discovered in July that was believed to have occurred sometime between July 10-14, according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry. Vandals caused more than $1 million in estimated damage to state equipment, including bulldozers important to fighting wildfires.
Meanwhile, more than 40% of the state is experiencing drought, increasing the chances for wildfires, according to meteorologists.
“While we are frustrated by the destruction of equipment used to keep our forests and communities safe from wildfire, we are grateful for law enforcement’s thorough investigation and efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice,” State Forester Heather Slayton said in an agency statement.
(READ MORE: Near-record high temps could reach 100 degrees Thursday in Hamilton County)
The reported damage included spray-painting vehicles, stealing equipment, shattering windows, slashing tires, vandalizing wires and hoses under vehicle hoods and tampering with fuel tanks, according to forestry officials. Five forestry bulldozers and one bulldozer transport truck and trailer were vandalized, rendering the equipment inoperable. Equipment was also stolen from the vehicles. The forest was closed immediately to allow investigators to collect evidence.
Forestry’s investigative unit has teamed with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI. During the closure for the investigation, three people entered the forest, attempted to evade law enforcement and were arrested, officials said. Authorities are still looking for those responsible for the vandalism and theft.
Anyone with relevant information about the theft and vandalism case is asked to contact the Agricultural Crime Unit at 844-AG-CRIME (844-242-7463) or agriculture.crime@tn.gov.
The agency is prepared to deploy firefighting resources from other parts of the state to handle any wildfire emergencies arising in the Cumberland region as drought takes hold in the southern half of the state, officials said.
DROUGHT
Dry conditions across Tennessee continue to worsen. All of Bledsoe, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, Meigs, Rhea and Sequatchie counties are shown in moderate drought in the Chattanooga region, along with portions of Bradley, McMinn, Franklin and Coffee counties, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, released Thursday.
The Tennessee Climate Office at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City reports that in recent weeks the area of moderate drought across Tennessee has swelled, and the drought monitor shows several counties in Middle Tennessee in a week plunged from severe to extreme drought. The dozen counties surrounding the state’s driest spot worsened from moderate to severe drought, while most Chattanooga-region counties have had little improvement and remain in moderate drought.
According to the climate office, wildfire danger increases with abnormally dry conditions and chances worsen as conditions decline into moderate drought or worse.
(READ MORE: Off-road vehicles barred from Franklin State Forest until July 8 for damage assessment)
On Friday, the state’s wildfire map showed no active blazes. A ban on outdoor burning is in place in Hamilton County until Oct. 1, according to the Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.