Firefighters from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and three North Carolina counties responded to a blaze that has consumed more than 3,000 acres on the reservation.

The fire started on Tuesday when a downed power line fell at a home on the reservation. A 90-year-old grandmother, Emma Walkingstick, helped keep the blaze at bay until crews arrived.

No homes or buildings have been destroyed by the fire but the tribe closed a day care center to protect children from the smoke. The tribe plans to let the fire burn itself out.

Get the Story:
Fire burns thousands of acres in Cherokee (The Asheville Citizen-Times 4/29)