Some of the towns most impacted were Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, both near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Climate change, human, social, political and economic factors are all also a part of this outcome, cause and effect. One Person Dead After Downtown Gatlinburg Fire Sunday I did blast him; and though I do have the utmost respect for his firefighting endeavors; it it disheartening to see someone with this apparent degree of experience claim this Chimney Tops Fire look at both fires was unpredictable. Typically instead of outright termination, the NPS is classic just to relocate the personnel and in some cases give them a promotion to keep them happy and from whistle-blowing; or just live in a delusional world of denial. ATF, other agencies search for cause of blaze that claimed life of Thanks Henry. Down hemlocks are mostly just gone. There could be falling trees. Suffice it to say betting against individual as well as class-action instruments being utilized against local and federal officials would be as unlikely as betting that the sun wont rise tomorrow. Anyone who has toured the hillsides where most of the homes that were destroyed would know immediately how difficult evacuations would be. I know as I have been there many times due to security interests. The Gatlinburg ByPass is also closed. Unfortunately this isnt always the case. She has given me permission to share it on this site. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages Things are changing slowly, and the human factors are unfortunately changing at a much slower pace than the climate and other socio-economic factors. The radio conversation was fairly early in the day as I recall, maybe 7:30-8:00 am. The winds that Monday afternoon had knocked power lines down and early reporting made mention of separate ignition points in the residential hillsides. I phoned 911 and reported that the fire was approaching our home and that it was within a few feet of the city/park boundary. A couple of weeks after hearing no hardcore news from Knox News, I wrote the editor asking if the News was still doing hardcore investigation of the fire. Great info/synopsis of the Gatlinburg/Sevier county wildfires. It goes for miles, Ive pushed as hard as I could straight down and only managed 1/10th mile an hour on the gps in a few such places. Over 3000 wildfires received Initial Attack in November in the southern Appalachians, many of which were still very active when Chimney Tops 2 started. The businesses include Cafe 420 . My husband stopped the car and the two men inside identified themselves as city water department employees. Council will utilize the 100s of wildfire experts testimony that the forresty service and local fire chief should have thrown everything they had at the Chimney 2 blaze the day it happened and everyone and every resource they could use from out of state that could get there within 24 hours. Any time our community suffers a great loss or devastation like this, it impacts everybody, she said. I asked my husband to go outside and hook up the water hose we had disconnected for winter. They just sat back and watched it burn. Thanksgiving weekend is one of the 4 busiest weekends for Gatlinburg and the National Park. What authority does NPS have outside GSMNP? I visited Gatlinburg on a trip to Asheville NC, in 1980. Bats were roosting in the church rafters and dropping feces onto the pews. Another 2.3 inches accumulated that day by the time it stopped at 7 p.m. I always come back to that groupthink mentality, the ladder of inference, the been there done that mode, the failure/fear to act, and thats how weve always done it thinking; all part of how our unconscious brain works without our conscious intervention and critical thinking skills. So sometime during the night as we now know everything burned down. and see if he could get any information. Why are there not more prescribed and controlled burns being conducted? Well I can say that if TEMA announced right now and emergency message to my cell phone in the east TN mountains I would never get a thing. The 2 juvenile defendants have been charged with the fire of Nov 23rd, 2016; but there has been NO apparent media release by officials and investigators as to whether these defendants started the fire of Nov 14th, 2016? It is a sad state of affairs, the loss of life was quite avoidable. So many unanswered questions? We discussed what we would/could do if we had to evacuate. How far from the Chimney Tops, as the crow flies, were these pictures taken? I am thankful so many are not only opening their eyes here, but taking action and questioning. My family lives 15 mi. There isn't one specific cause behind the fires, Boyd said. Since November 29 it has rained about every 2 to 3 daysin the Gatlinburg area. Back home in West TN, when tornado warnings were active in a particular area there were loud sirens that went off. I was afraid to go into Park with boys. For the availability of resources our local volunteer departments are doing a good job, but things are changing and we need to get out of the boxes we are in, and start critical thinking and creatively to meet the challenges of the future because they are rapidly descending upon us whether we like it or not. Our neighbors 3 doors down were outside near their car. It was extremely dark and small branches and twigs were pelting our car. It is now time for aircraft (usually helicopters) to start washing the fire off the hill. Accountability is important and paying the price for our decisions is too. Click here. In addition thorough explanations could have been given for the reasons for calling for the Voluntary Evacuation and could have been published. They just hurl mean criticisms and put downs from a safe distance Brene Brown. Branson is built into the mountainous forests of south-central Missouri, is a resort town, and a retirement community and entertainment venue. What were the emergency managers of this county doing/thinking at this time? But the condition of the fuel was also important since it happenedduring what the National Weather Service (NWS) calls exceptional drought conditions. November 27th, 35 acres. Gatlinburg Wildfire: 2 Juveniles Charged With Arson - NPR When maintenance employees with GRSM drove past the Chimney Tops 2 Fire early Mondaymorning they saw that the intensity and rate of spread of the fire had increased dramatically. With that all happening before lunch. Bob had stayed in West TN after Thanksgiving, to work there for a few days before returning home so he wasnt with us. A guy in the red pickup rolled down his window and said You have to get out of here! My husband and I turned around, drove back to the Parkway and out the Spur to Pigeon Forge. It must have been Sunday, because a Type 1 team came in on Tuesday. This is the path to healing, and the way to light. How did all the downtown businesses know to close and send their employees home, but not one word of warning was given to homeowners/residents? Suggestion, contact Dolly Parton or representatives of her holdings and give her (them) the emergency phone line to Global Supertankers. Most excellently put, Jeannine (you are an exceptional writer). Are city and county officials learning to use the expensive Motorola radio system that would have allowed various agencies to communicate when cell service went down? Compare the events to their fire management manual and contradictions are present. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates. Thanks for the legwork. Approximately 14,000 residents were originally forced to evacuate. You said in your post what I have been thinking. The 6pm and 7pm newscasts could have been leveraged by TEMA to order an evacuation then, before lines went down, power went out and cell towers on fire. As a mountain boy who loves the harshest terrain even I couldnt imagine trying to run a fire line in this area. We have border issues, at the local levels, states rights and federal rights that are still at issue, leadership silos, and rising political issues. Even though I am located adjacent to the National Forest lands on 3 sides, I cannot invite them onto my property to help me lessen the fuel load proximal to my home. Perhaps all the firefighters prior experience was giving them mental slides that were no longer valid given the conditions. Like I said this is like so many tragic events, a chain reaction of events that all contributed to a disastrous outcome, because of actions and inactions that were not questioned or corrected at many steps of the way. The fire did not get up the valley to the Alum Cave Parking Lot, and LeConte Lodge is fine. We drove down to Calhouns complex, through their parking area and back out onto the parkway and headed east. Massive Wildfire Engulfs Tennessee Resort Towns, Kills 3 In all the Disasters I have worked in Texas, FEMA reimburse City or County for debris pickup. We are to be stewards of the land. I think wildland fire managers should be commended that this fire did not result in a tragic firefighter incident like Yarnell Hills. This fire season is a perfect example of why we do not need to lynch and discard those who have erred but gained highly valuable experience in the process. I called Bob, boys and I got a bite to eat for supper so we wouldnt be a bother to our friends whose house we were going to wait out the evening. Shelter locations could have been announced, especially encouraging people to take action during the daylight hours that day so that escaping in total darkness during an inferno of fire or not having the means to do so would not be forced on people, and they could make arrangements for their own safety. In response to Jeanne in regard to Kelly Morgans comments: It is the duty of the American people to honor and respect and obey the Laws of the Land unless government becomes a dictatorship to basic rights and freedoms. I am positive that for anyone who gives of themselves to protect and serve will forever be haunted by that far more than anyone of us can expect to hold them accountable by lynching. The excellent Park folks seemed to just monitor it, and it resolved itself. The two juveniles who set a fire are not alone in this. Then and only then will He let you effectively manage His creation that He has allowed you to be a part of for a short time. Gatlinburg Fire 2016: The Start. Which is pretty near chimney tops. Birmingham City have had to close their training ground after a fire caused damage on Friday morning. To successfully allow a fire to burn for a long period of time requires VERY skilled personnel and luck. The body of an unidentified person was found amid the rubble of a downtown section of buildings that. Yes government at all levels needs to be held accountable; otherwise we regress back into the Dark Ages. Frederick County, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of Intention is important, even in a court of law, intention ways heavily on the sentencing. One week before the fire, a backcountry ranger confronted people that had built a fire at Alum Cave Bluffs. We checked the Spot Weather Forecasts that were requested by the NPS and issued by the NWS for the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. One of the owners of the impacted businesses called a contractor to demolish a damaged portion of the building. He has had to struggle with the untimely death of his very healthy and active in younger retirement parents but both of us having been an EMS and fire service, he is of the opinion just as I am that the NPS as well as the Gatlinburg fire chief and the city and county officials have the most of blood on their hands . Their are undoubtedly many many causative factors for any disaster, even the actions, inactions and unintentional actions can be like a snowball rolling down a mountain of snow! He asked them if they could give us an update on the fire and they said no. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge wildfire evacuation information - WJBF You are correct in pointing out the dead hemlocks. The governors promised investigation has yet to appear (if it ever will), but the National Parks investigation is proceeding and no locals are on that team. There are thousands and thousands of people who feel as I do about your loss and the losses of so many people in Gatlinburg and the surrounding area. Good point, Ms. Horton. When peoples towns and lives are at stake, letting a fire burn or hoping to get lucky is a tough sell. There may be some validity in the DA doing that, but it sure calls their integrity into question. If you had transposed the same fire with similar conditions to California or Idaho would it have been managed the same way? The Championship side, who are 19th in the table, said there have been no injuries. The power of nature is awesome and often far beyond our ability to predict and react to in a timely manner. That didnt work out. Apparently, when the second fire was started by the defendants on the 23rd, the NPS assumed they could handle the 23rd fire like they did the first fire of the 14th. TEMA had the power and authority, yet did nothing until Hell was at their door. Person killed in downtown Gatlinburg fire identified Every business downtown was closed except for Bubba Gumps. The park should have been begging for help and putting out warnings all week end!!! Im not saying IMTs are perfect (and no doubt there are background politics involved), but they sure appeared to do an awesome job coming to the situation with a big view and didnt hesitate to get the job done and keep the public informed. This is how the devastating Gatlinburg wildfire erupted overnight By Angela Fritz November 29, 2016 at 1:06 p.m. EST Wildfires raging in the Tennessee resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon. I would like to express that there are sincere and dedicated folks working for the National Park Service. Though once high winds hit, given the conditions there was no stopping the fire from destroying property. Gatlinburg is in Sevier County. Limbs began to fall. Jeannine, what an awesome, in-depth and thoughtful response. Then, a few days later they had the full timeline article and info about the NPS not following its own protocols. I dont understand, but I dont judge. Then the wind comes!!! I can picture all milepost 316. I guess they are helping the people they always help and the rest of us are out of luck. Much of the southeastern United States had been suffering extremely dry conditions for two to three months. FEMA did say they would give us a low interest rate loan, we dont want a loan we worked hard and paid it off and dont want to go in debt to rebuild! Thank you for the timeline and the opportunity for comments. Good incident managers welcome open discussion and critique to learn and improve for future incidents. The only way they will learn from the fire is if they have to face a jury of their peers to account for their ineptness even know they were in charge of protecting us and our homes and they did neither. WBIR is going to interview me as soon as two weeks from now regarding how I was taken for $120,000 by a crooked contractor that I was hooked up with by a log home firm. During the investigation, fire officials interviewed a cleaner of Loco Burro who saw a person matching Bates description the morning of the fire. Once again, can fire discreetly smolder in the duff amid rock crevices? If you take a hands off approach with minimal management and indirectly Play God look out. Things dont change unless people stand up and make them change. This is as far as this subject needs to go; for the objective of this site is in regard to wildfire. They had access to the same fire flight info from Sundays flyover that other agencies had. These folks do this often in situations in which they have little control over much of the situation or outcomes. Very good pictures! We are still dealing but two of us or degree, the emotional loss of losing our beloved cabin but now we are in the rebuild mode. There were ashes raining and that was very alarming to me. That said, it is always easier for those outside of the forest to see the big picture then those who are standing inside the trees down on the forest floor. Bob called. They decided instead to monitor and to identifyon a map areas for indirect containment lines which encompassed 410 acres. With all due respect to your comment, you seem to be a bit condescending toward some folks asking very legitimate questions; and giving the impression you are trying to the get the heat off the back of NPS officials. Period. 865-637-2442. Citing the steep terrain and the safety of firefighters, fire managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) decided not to take direct action on the fire which would entail constructing fireline along the edge of the fire to remove the fuel that allows it to spread. Yet no one will be severely punished i.e. When I built a home here just a few years ago and wanted to have a sprinkler system installed, I was told we dont have big wildfires here. The leadership tetrahedron if you will, the area where all the parts come together based on the past, the current, the potential and the possible. there is nothing that can address the failure of leadership at every level that contributed to that loss of life. You are aware that Bill Gabbert the Editor of Wildfire Today spent a large part of his fire carrier with the Park Service where I believe he was served on a nationwide Type I IMT. I fully understand the financial difficulties of the NPS and with firefighters abroad. Vincent Gabrielle, Knoxville News Sentinel. Brush fires spread across multiple counties this afternoon in Southwest Florida due to high winds. I convinced my husband to drive back toward our house to see if we could see the fire. A mandatory evacuation should have been issued, at the latest, Monday morning, with reverse 911 calls, as well as loudspeaker equipped vehicles. We are emotional beings, we feel and we have the capability to think. That is great knowledge to share. We have had dry conditions in years past and there has probably been fires in the past and nothing like this ever happened. There are hundreds of hemlock skeletons heading north from Chimney Rock. How many sorties could those planes do in an single day even if they had been deployed on Even Friday?? Drought, fall winds, fuel moistures that havent recovered in months, what part of this disaster was a surprise. National Park Service Supervisory Park Ranger (Protection) in I can feel for the service providers and the devastated fire victims. Needless to say one tanker run can drop more water than two helicopters can do in a full day. We have also come upon many campfires that tent campers and others thought or extinguished but were back to a full burn with not adequate fire breaking around it. Good comments by all. Other than the way the police were able to evacuate 4,000 people from Gatlinburg with little notice on Monday evening, everyone else involved did a very poor job. The Incident Management Teams at Tellico, Rock Mountain and Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock fires had dead hemlocks near the trials knocked down (dynamite, cutting, other means theyre still working on it along the AT). Both east and west forks of the Pigeon River. We have a mountaintop cabin about 50 miles south of this area. On November 27 the fire was a third of a mileas the crow flies from US Highway 441. Under ideal conditions they can temporarily slow the spread, which may be effective if firefighters on the ground can move in quickly totake advantage of the short termchange in fire behavior by constructing firelines, stopping the spread at that location. The fire, which was reported at 6:39 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of Parkway, caused extensive damage to a block of businesses, the city's spokesperson said.