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.
Topographic sheets covering this place
11 surveys from 18 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1886 USGS Cumberland Gap quadrangle1:125000
- 1888 USGS Cumberland Gap quadrangle1:125000
- 1891 USGS Cumberland Gap quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1903 USGS Pineville quadrangle1:48000
- 1954 USGS Pineville quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1955 USGS Johnson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Johnson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Johnson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS Johnson City quadrangle1:250000
- 1974 USGS Pineville quadrangle1:24000
- 1977 USGS Middlesboro quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
280 since 1997Regional 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 burning | 119 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 74 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 62 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 15 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | TANYARD HILL |
| 6 September 2007 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 30 September 2007 | Recreation and ceremony | 15 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 28 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 26 September 2017 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | US HWY 25E |
| 24 September 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 22 September 2007 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
| 10 September 2002 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Kentucky Division of Forestry | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hana Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Highway 25-E Roadcut | Clay | Prospect | ||
| Levi Polly Sand Pit | Silica | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
5 since 2012Regional 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2020 | Flood | Dorton Branch | $4,000,000 | Local 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 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dorton Branch | $5,000 | Trees were blown down on Petes Blossom Rd south of Cary. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dorton Branch | $1,000 | The 911 call center reported 6 trees and a power line down along KY-66 in Bell County. |
| May 2022 | Flash Flood | Dorton 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 2022 | Flash Flood | Dorton Branch | - | Water was observed flowing over KY-221 near the community of Straight Creek. |
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 | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Creek | 0.7 miles | 18 | |
| Pineville | 1.0 miles | 18 | |
| Keenox | 1.3 miles | 18 | |
| Wallsend | 1.6 miles | 18 | |
| Cary | 1.7 miles | 18 | |
| Wasioto | 1.8 miles | 25 | |
| East Pineville | 2.6 miles | 25 | |
| Rim Camp (historical) | 2.7 miles | 18 |
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.










