Surveillance video captures Red River Gorge fire suspects

U.S. Forest Service investigators are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the conviction of those causing a wildfire in the Red River Gorge. The men in the photographs below are believed to be two of three individuals responsible for the fire that has closed nearly 3,000 acres on Auxier Ridge. The Forest Service is seeking help in identifying these men.

The wildfire was discovered in the early morning hours of Oct. 24. The fire was set during a declared fire ban. Forest Service law enforcement officers observed three individuals fleeing from the scene. They escaped in a car parked below the ridge at Nada Tunnel on Highway 77.

To date, the fire has burned twelve hundred acres, has closed 25 miles of trails, and has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent to fight the blaze.

Back at the site where the men were camped, officers found a receipt of purchased items that matched those at the scene. The receipt is from a Walmart in Dry Ridge, Ky. Security cameras captured photographs of the individuals purchasing the receipt items.

Camping gear, clothing and other personal items were abandoned at the campsite where the wildfire started. Fingerprints are being taken from the recovered items.

“The suspects are encouraged to come forth,” said Patrol Captain Kimberly Kipp. “Their cooperation with law enforcement will be considered during prosecution if they come forward now.”

The Auxier Ridge area of the gorge, including roads and trails, remain closed. A portion of Highway 77 from Nada Tunnel to the Martins Fork parking area remains closed due to falling tree hazards.

Anyone who can identify the men in the photographs or has other information is asked to contact Kipp at 606-875-5042.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Red River Gorge seeks 3 campers for wildfire

Last weekend an illegal campfire in Red River Gorge, set during a declared fire ban, has spread to more than 400 acres and has led to the closure of Tunnel Ridge Road, a portion of Kentucky Highway 7, and several trails in the Auxier Ridge area.

The U.S. Forest Service (Daniel Boone National Forest) is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the three individuals responsible for the escaped campfire. The fire began just after midnight on Saturday.

The escaped campfire led to an emergency Forest Supervisor’s Order that closed an estimated 3,000 acres in the Auxier Ridge area. Forest Service officials spent most of Sunday morning searching for more than 50 backcountry campers and hikers who had vehicles parked in the closure area. All visitors associated with the vehicles were found safe.

Forest Service law enforcement officers witnessed three individuals running from the escaped campfire and getting into their car parked along Kentucky Highway 77. An investigation is under way. According to law enforcement officials, the individuals starting the fire would be best served by coming forward.

The wildfire has led to the closure of Tunnel Ridge Road, a section of Kentucky Highway 7 from Nada Tunnel to the Martins Fork parking area. Trails closed due to the fire include Grays Arch, Rough Trail, Sheltowee Trace, and the entire Auxier Trail system which includes Auxier Ridge, Courthouse Rock and Double Arch (click here for a map of the impacted area).

Earlier this week, Daniel Boone National Forest officials increased the fine for violating the ban on campfires from $75 to a $500 minimum.

Since the ban, Forest Service law enforcement officers have issued nearly 200 violations for illegal campfires in the Red River Gorge.

All violations will require a mandatory appearance in federal court. Up to six months imprisonment could be incurred in addition to a fine. Individuals who allow a campfire to escape and result in a wildfire may be required to pay restitution for suppression costs.

Anyone with information about the fire should call Forest Service Patrol Capt. Kimberly Kipp at (606) 875-5042.

For more information on the Red River Gorge in central Kentucky, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

The fugitive bear of Red River Gorge

The fugitive black bear of Red River Gorge is still on the run.

Federal officials have placed an All Points Bulletin (APB) on a black bear in the Red River Gorge of central Kentucky. Officials from an array of Federal agencies are combing the Red River Gorge wilderness in search of the bear that became famous after becoming the first black bear to attack a human in modern Kentucky history earlier this week.

The terror brought on by the attack has forced the closure of the 29,000-acre Red River Gorge Geological Area. Although exact numbers haven’t been provided, officials in Washington DC say it’s the highest number of feds scouring a wilderness area since the Eric Rudolph case.

Helicopters, Karelian Bear Dogs, U.S. Army Scouts and Dog the Bounty Hunter have all been deployed to the area. After the bungled Gulf oil spill response, local residents have expressed shock that the U.S. government was able to respond in such a short amount of time.

Hourly updates on the progress of the hunt are being provided by media outlets across the state and beyond. As always, the media is doing its best to keep the public calm while the fugitive remains on the loose.

Just as the bear that bit the hiker near Laurel Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains received a name, I think it’s appropriate that we give the fugitive bear in question a name as well. I think we should call him “Red” – “Red the black bear”.

A National Forest Ranger, who refused to give his name, stated that he believes that Red is hiding out in the disputed and highly lawless mountainous region along the Wolfe County - Menifee County line.

Another ranger is theorizing that fellow bears in the area are providing Red with safe houses, allowing him to stay in their dens during the day, which allows him to stay on the move at night.

There are also rumors that humans sympathetic to Red’s cause are providing assistance, including leaving food items out at night for him as he travels from den to den.

Although Red has no known priors, it’s suspected that his parents were behind several bluff charges and dumpster raids in Virginia several years back.

Just hours ago, a young anchor from a Lexington TV station - fresh out of college, reported from a helicopter dispatched to the scene that they thought they had found the bear escaping in a white SUV. From the air the crew followed the vehicle down the Mountain Parkway all the way to Compton until they discovered that it was actually a former NFL Football star. Purportedly he played in Chicago.

Stay tuned as the hunt continues.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Red River Gorge named as the first "Hot Spot"

Red River Gorge is in danger of being "loved to death."

That's according to the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, who has recently named the Gorge as its first "Hot Spot."

The nonprofit organization out of in Boulder, Colorado will be providing some help to keep the Gorge clean.

The selection means that trainers from the center will attend some events in the Gorge to talk with people about "Leave No Trace" camping and recreation. They'll also promote the concept though social media and contacts with universities, clubs and others who use the area.

Located in central Kentucky, the Red River Gorge offers hiking, camping, rock-climbing, canoeing and other activities that draw people from around the world. The gorge is best known for its sandstone cliffs and the more than 100 natural arches within its borders, which is the greatest concentration of arches east of the Rocky Mountains.

The Leave No Trace Center noted that all that recreation has resulted in "litter, trail erosion, damage to vegetation, and vandalism of property, natural features, and cultural/heritage sites."

Having spent a lot of time in Red River Gorge during my late teen years, I can personally attest to the abuse heaped upon this beautiful and unique area.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.