Fire Crews Battle Appalachian Blazes

Across the parched southern Appalachians, firefighters battled wildfires that have burned nearly 47,000 acres and have cast such a heavy blue haze that drivers are turning on their headlights during the day. No significant rain has fallen in the area for more than a month, transforming the once-beautiful fall foliage into tinder. Nearly all the blazes have been blamed on careless campers or arsonists. Kentucky, with nearly 18,000 acres burned this week, and Tennessee, with about 15,000 acres, were the hardest hit.