National park starts controlled burn

TOWNSEND, Tenn. -- Officials of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park set a 1,000-acre fire Monday in hopes of helping the yellow pine tree population in the largest such fire since 1996.

The closely monitored fire was expected to burn through Wednesday.

This week's burn is intended to help the recovery of yellow pine in an area where the tree was once the predominant species. Over the past 70 years, pines were crowded out by oaks and other hardwoods.