Stove explodes inside tent

A lone hiker from Indiana who had set up camp on Stratton Bald had a close call around 8:30 p.m. March 16, when his small backpacking stove exploded starting a grass fire and burning a hole in his tent. Fortunately, he escaped unharmed. His identity was not released to The Graham Star.

Personnel complete pair of search missions

Hikers have kept regional emergency personnel busy for most of 2020. Officials with the Graham County Rescue Squad, U.S. Forest Service and the Monroe County, Tenn. Rescue Squad and EMS were dispatched to a pair of separate incidents last week, both of which began in Graham County.