The leaves that had hung on into late Fall because of lack of winds and rain for months began to rain from the trees in copious amounts and there were leaf funnels forming and it was hard as we ran from cabin to car loading Abram and Lady. For the region, I hope fire officials do realize that regional history makes little difference if the right combination of factors exists for rapid and extreme fire growth. There were cliffs in the area but firefighting Hotshot Crews can figure out how to work on steep slopes, sometimes backing off a bit, constructing a fire line and intentionally burning the fuel in between, preventing further expansion of the fire. Though Im missing the boat a little here, my questioning is still legitimate being that any managed ignited fire can still get out of control adding to an existing wildfire or creating one. We watched the news the rest of evening. I look forward to seeing the report when it comes out. The report said the fire was an accident and caused around $7 million in damages. This isnt finger pointing its the simple facts of the entire situation like it or not! Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire Brian Blanco/Getty. How far from the Chimney Tops, as the crow flies, were these pictures taken? Officials keep repeating that nothing like this has ever happened here before so they cant be responsible. That mall is also rigidly enforced. There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. When I crawled my way up Pinecrest Drive to Wiley Oakley through dense smoke, I saw a Gatlinburg pumper at the top of the hill. This come from long time residents, The prices we have been getting should be considered price gouging because that is exactly what it is. The whole thing is unconscionable to me. Often times in seeking to take out a person, the real root causes go unaddressed, and sometimes that includes some people taking the fall for decisions of others that were major contributing factors. Hopefully all of those affected will be able to begin again. So many unanswered questions? 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. China Bazaar, Pucker's Sports Grill, Gifts of . But until the review of the fire is complete and the report is published, I would be careful with a statement like this: The Chimney Tops fire was a wildfire being monitored given limited resources initially because of the many other ongoing fires in the region to which fire-fighting resources were committed. The helicopter worked until it had to refuel and then two other Type 1 helicopters took its placeuntil dark. The Gatlinburg fire that killed 14 people was started by two teenagers dropping lit matches onto the ground along Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, sources close to the investigation told the Knoxville News Sentinel. I appreciate that fine quality of writing that expresses your thoughts in an easy to read yet structured style that makes sense. No one wanted the castrophe that resulted. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages. My prayers are with all of you. The action taken by firefighters on Monday was defensive, to protect threatened structures at a nearby National Park Service picnic ground. So property owners are left to deal with everything and if we had the power we would have done something like worrying the crap out of all of them until action was taken. Of course Dollywood and Gatlinburg was virtually unscathed. On-the-ground fire suppression activity took place Monday when firefighters took defensive action to protect structures at a nearby GRSM picnic area. 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! Would it not be more beneficial to hold accountability by insuring that analysis of cause and effect and learning take place; that change is done where change is needed? We got a text message. You cannot sit and watch a fire in the mountains this close to a town and not call in lots of HELP!!! What Caused The Gatlinburg Fire - BikeHike The devastation of the Gatlinburg wildfires offered hope, in a - Yahoo! On the night before I left for Branson, I had terrible nightmares of being caught in a forest fire in Branson. 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. 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. The body of a person has been found in the rubble of a fire in downtown Gatlinburg, our ABC affiliate WATE reported Monday. ), lack of knowledge of alternative communication systems (the Motorola area wide emergency radio system installed last year). The reason that is a point is IMT has experience far beyond any fire teams in east TN or GSMNP, especially with wind-driven wildfires. This truck was also filled with firefighters. If the defendants didnt ignite the 14th fire, who did and is this 14th fire under investigation? Stanton wanted to go but I was afraid to for several reasons. All my constructive criticisms are not targeted to Park personnel in general. All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect. Ms.Schroer said she was not aware of any actual on-the-ground fire suppression efforts, other than perhaps some work on a distant indirect fireline, until Monday November 28, after the fire had grown large and crossed US Highway 141, the main road into the park. I was afraid to go into Park with boys. Oct. 11, 2022, at 10:27 a.m. 1 Dead in Gatlinburg Fire That Affected Travel to Smokies. They must be invited in by the state, so the bureaucracy and border silos are at issue here too. Many on that team are not NPS employees, but are highly experienced wildfire fighters. Civilians are dead, millions of dollars of personal property destroyed, millions of dollars were spent on containing the wildfirethe rains/snow finally suppressed it. Emergency management should have been all over this from the very beginning. There was lots of sunlight and lots of low-level vegetation so much that the trail was overgrown and we decided to turn around. It now seems obvious that no housing development should have only road in and out. Officials identified Robert A. Hejny, 63, who was found at Traveler's Motel in Gatlinburg. 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. What caused the Gatlinburg wildfire? I viewed aerial photos of that area over the past 10 years (on USGS website). What authority does NPS have outside GSMNP? Good incident managers welcome open discussion and critique to learn and improve for future incidents. Hit it with all you have the Moment it breaks out. There could be falling trees. No. Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. Do arsonists typically work alone? One indicator of drought and its effect on how wildfires burn is the Keetch-Byram Drought Index(KBDI). What were the emergency managers of this county doing/thinking at this time? All the guy in the truck told us was that they had dug a fire line and were told to wait here. Then another large red pickup came down from Turkey Nest Road and stopped in front of us. A stroke in 2011 left Akaka partially paralyzed and unable to speak but he didn't need words to express his joy to be reunited with it. A spokesperson for the city said the Gatlinburg Fire Department was dispatched to the 700 block of Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg at 6:39 a.m. on October 9. From my back ground in fire, safety and as a fire investigator I see the development of a chain of multiple, unusual and totally unexpected events leading up to final blowup. Copyright 2022 WVLT. The fire on Sunday caused extensive damage to a block of . I told him to go up and park in driveway close to where I wanted to leave the truck and that I would drive truck up. Bob, I know where youre coming from. It was extremely dark and small branches and twigs were pelting our car. Neither the NPS nor the city wanted CNN cameras covering a mass evacuation of a town jam packed with tourists on Thanksgiving weekend. Birmingham City close training ground after fire causes damage Downtown Gatlinburg fire: Experts identify remains found in rubble I am trying to learn everything I can and hope to find an avenue to serve in this cause in some small way as most of you have and are serving in major, ways, risking your lives. The amount of dead Frazier fir and Spruce trees, caused by similar non-native infestation, is dramatic on Newfound Gap road, but mainly past The Chimneys at higher elevations. We couldnt go up Motor Nature Trail so we went back to Cherokee Orchard Road. Try to stay neutral I understand; but the NPS has a track record of avoiding accountability. He also raked as many leaves as he could from around our cabin. The electricity goes out almost everytime there is a high wind. In this instance, it is not only important to ask the questions its mandatory to question the answers if we are to achieve true critical thinking. About 20 years ago, I hiked to Albright Grove, an old-growth hemlock forest near Greenbrier. It was very low on gas and fully covered with insurance. I would describe this as flooding in Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg Tennessee, but certainly heavy rain rising the water levels throughout. 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. There are three broad categories of conditions that affect the way a wildfire burns: weather, fuels (vegetation), and topography. Someone must have started the fire. Fire Tears Through Downtown Gatlinburg (TN) Mall; One Person Killed We were wearing bandanas wrapped around our faces at this point. The Spur or US 441 runs between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in the Smokies. But. I would hope that we would fund the National Park Service much better so that cost-cutting is not so high on their priorities. The 2016 Gatlinburg wildfire was deadliest in the eastern half of the U.S. since the Great Fires of 1947 in Maine and the worst in the history of Great . At the big forest fires in NC and GA, where the federal incident management teams were located, the Incident teams ordered pre-evacuation prior to the arrival of a cold front when strong, gusty winds were forecast. There were and continue to be many deaths and fires that occurred in those western areas, and with those IMT expert Teams, that taught hard lessons, and enabled those people to gain experience and become the so called experts in the field. None of our fires escaped, in part because we had some very smart, very experienced people in key positions. CNN A wildfire burning near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Sevier County, Tennessee, has grown to more than 3,700 acres and impacted more than 100 structures, County Mayor Larry. Yes a lot is somewhat predictable, just as this fire, but not every aspect is, there are too many variables in the real world. I said a quick prayer for safety and we started up hill to leave our truck. Hemlocks were mentioned in a number of daily updates on Inciweb because they are basically standing roman candles thanks to the spiral of limbs. Cafe 420 and Gifts of Gatlinburg were also destroyed. The high winds were forecasted on the 25th, 2016. This is from previous questioning of mine from another Wildfire Today article: Team to Begin Chimney Tops 2 Fire: I appreciate your more thorough break down of backfire. The Spur between Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg is open from Pigeon Forge to the Gatlinburg Welcome Center. He asked them how or who we could contact to get emergency information. This is a complicated incident where many lessons can be learned. There was a yellow glow in the skies which has always been indicative of severe weather where we came from. What the fire victims need is non-biased experts to analyze the BACKFIRES that the NPS claims they ignited to protect NPS structures. Had they viewed the Chimney Tops 2 fire as though it was in the forested southwest Im sure they would have issued pre-evacuation notices up to 48 hours prior to the wind events of that Monday. Mother nature always bats last Sad chain of eventsonce again. Anytime that one side seeks to destroy the other as opposed to actually raise the issues, I would raise a red flag and wonder what the distraction is really trying to hide! On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 a hiker on the popular Chimney Tops Trail managed to capture a photo of two teenage boys dropping lit matches on the trail despite the current no-burn order in the area. OnMonday, December 5, the Incident Management Team (IMT) on the Chimney Tops 2 Fire that burned from Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) into the Gatlinburg area reported that it has caused the deaths of 14people. I hope the recordings werent pulled under threat of someones attorney or the DA. It just so happens that at this time hundreds of fires were subsequently being started all around the south! Tommy Kirkland says: I found this blog and am so grateful to have an opportunity to reply and also to become informed from experienced, caring people of service in the firefighting effort. Thank all of you. I certainly hope the investigation of the totality of fire is not pressured to conclude prematurely. If the NPS backfires were not ignited on the 28th; then they had to be ignited on the 27th a day before the fire broke out. It is a truism that many people want all the benefits of government, but dont want to pay for them. It had burned into a picnic area and crossed the main roadinto the park, US Highway 441. GRSM posted Fire Information signs in the area explaining their monitoring strategy due to vertical cliffs, narrow rock ridges and steep drainages. So far, this week's tragic Tennessee wildfires have caused at least seven deaths, injured at least 50 more, and damaged or destroyed over 700 structures, a good portion of them in the city of Gatlinburg. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - One person died and another was injured in a large fire in downtown Gatlinburg Sunday. I know as I have been there many times due to security interests. There are a lot of downed trees and a lot of trails are temporarily closed to deal with them. Even life-long locals said they had never seen rhododendren wither up before. She replied, Mrs. As one who has had experience and ready mix, concrete block, pavers, and pre-cast, one would be a fool to rebuild on ANY existing foundation that came in contact with temperatures approaching 3,000F. I believe God was speaking to me early in the day on 28th and I am grateful for the ability He blessed me with to get out of Gatlinburg early.. I am here at the opportunity on a couple of occasions to speak to the Fire Chief of Ontario Michigan. 321) at Glades Road and the Post Office. It would be interesting to dig a little further on this. I am glad so many are taking a look at this situation, and hopefully never loosing sight of the intention to improvement and a better way. If they do work as a pair, do they set multiple fires in the same area? But instead great risks were taken through basic inaction and the consequences were disastrous. They are as Brene Brown puts it, In The Arena; not merely sitting in a seat watching it or viewing from a comfort zone at home on the big screen but in the Arena risking everything for others. Well said, the terrain here is different than a lot of places, even out west. It also led officials to. This time it is not firefighters but civilian deaths. For folks afflicted by this tragedy, emotions running high should be expected; and it is understandable for Kelly Morgan to be upset. A true lackadaisical response. These words are so terribly inadequate but I feel even worse not saying anything at all. We could get blocked in by both. 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. Damage was estimated at more than $500 million, according to Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters. Aircraft dropping water or fire retardant on a fire cannot put it out. He told me he was scared to drive the truck-its a lot more cumbersome in the local terrain than his little Outback. I turned on tv to see if there were warnings of any sort. At 2 a.m. Monday the wind speeds recorded at Indian Grave began increasing and the direction became more consistently out of the south and southwest. It was a very horrible dream and I had qualms about my trip before I arrived in Branson. The chain reaction that if un-inhibited can create the perfect storm, block the perfect solutions or that can lead to the ignition of possibility and opportunity. If the new location isnt in Gatlinburg, it will definitely be in Sevier County. But fires are getting nastier everywhere and folks keep saying past fire history isnt as good a guide as it used to be. Yet if no one raises cain about it, things will be rebuilt with no regard for such safety factors. My family lives 15 mi. The excellent Park folks seemed to just monitor it, and it resolved itself. Im hoping at this point, its going to be pretty quick. Within a few days or week prior to this deadly fire I heard a local major Knoxville radio station broadcasting a satire bashing HRC, Obama, the Federal Government among a few other controversial things, and how the revolution has begun including the incitement of burning down the place, this Knoxville radio station followed this rant with songs whose lyrics tough-ted and instructed the starting of fires. I would like to express that there are sincere and dedicated folks working for the National Park Service. there is still a nagging question regarding the use of BACKFIRE on the part of the NPS and the Gatlinburg Fires? The fire was reported to be near the Twin Creeks Picnic Center at 1130. Spirit Airlines . I wish the Feds had kept the case instead of handing it off to the local DA. My question to the Deputy Super: If the Chimney Tops Fire 2 of Nov 23rd to 28th, 2016 could not have been extinguished before the winds came; and there was plenty of time to act before the winds came; then how come GSMNP fire crews apparently extinguished the first Chimney Tops Fire of Nov 12/13th, 2016? Great info/synopsis of the Gatlinburg/Sevier county wildfires. Great job on this website, it is very informative and I recommend it to everyone in the business. They are having a press conference this afternoon so perhaps there will be more transparency. You cannot predict an outcome of fight first and fast any better than you did letting thousands of property burn and 15 people die. But, that team is there to give future corrective actions, not to formulate lawsuits. Ms. Schroer told us that additional firefighters were ordered on Sunday. The city said crews working the structure fire that . A true lackadaisical response. A fire burning under those conditions would likely burn more intensely, have a rate of spread faster than normal, and have more resistance to control. Things are changing slowly, and the human factors are unfortunately changing at a much slower pace than the climate and other socio-economic factors.