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Dorton Branch, Kentucky

18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1977. It stands in the Pineville census division. It lies in ZIP code area 40977. It stands on Dorton Branch. The Survey maps it on the Pineville quadrangle.

Dorton Branch within Bell County

Topographic sheets covering this place

11 surveys from 18 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

280 since 1997

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 280 fires within 5 miles of Dorton Branch between 1997 and 2020, burning about 10,809 acres in total. None started naturally. 62 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning119
Missing data/not specified/undetermined74
Arson/incendiarism62
Recreation and ceremony15
Equipment and vehicle use3
Smoking3
Railroad operations and maintenance3
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2016Debris and open burning1.0 acresKentucky Division of ForestryTANYARD HILL
6 September 2007Debris and open burning2.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
30 September 2007Recreation and ceremony15 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
28 September 2007Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
26 September 2017Arson/incendiarism1.0 acresKentucky Division of ForestryUS HWY 25E
24 September 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined5.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
22 September 2007Debris and open burning30 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named
10 September 2002Debris and open burning1.0 acresKentucky Division of Forestrynot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Bell County

Mines and quarries near this place

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Dorton Branch: 1 past producer, 1 producer, 1 prospect. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Silica, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Hana Sand & Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Highway 25-E RoadcutClayProspect
Levi Polly Sand PitSilicaPast Producer

Every working recorded in Bell County

Storms near this place

5 since 2012

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Dorton Branch in 5 storm reports between 2012 and 2025: 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
February 2020FloodDorton Branch$4,000,000Local media reported devastating flooding throughout Bell County, including damage to approximately 90 homes. This includes Pineville, where the Cumberland River crested to its second highest stage in history, forcing officials to close the city's floodgates. The community of Fourmile was hard hit, while the Dorton Branch community saw several people without homes as flood waters of nearly a foot deep impacted them. Several homes and businesses, including Faith Missionary Baptist Church, sustained damage. Middlesboro was also heavily impacted as numerous businesses and homes were inundated. At least three water rescues were made by public safety officials between Pineville and Middlesboro.
February 2012Thunderstorm WindDorton Branch$5,000Trees were blown down on Petes Blossom Rd south of Cary.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindDorton Branch$1,000The 911 call center reported 6 trees and a power line down along KY-66 in Bell County.
May 2022Flash FloodDorton Branch-Water was flowing over Route 66 following thunderstorms with heavy rain. It was reported that the water had receded prior to 6:30 PM EDT (5:30 PM EST).
July 2022Flash FloodDorton Branch-Water was observed flowing over KY-221 near the community of Straight Creek.

Every storm recorded in Bell County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Straight Creek0.7 miles18
Pineville1.0 miles18
Keenox1.3 miles18
Wallsend1.6 miles18
Cary1.7 miles18
Wasioto1.8 miles25
East Pineville2.6 miles25
Rim Camp (historical)2.7 miles18

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 491022. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.