A massive wildfire burning
in the Tennessee resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge has
destroyed more than 100 structures, including homes and businesses,
authorities said Tuesday.
Mandatory evacuations for residents and visitors were ordered and the National Guard was mobilized to Sevier County to help transport firefighters, remove debris and check on residents, as the fire spread across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Monday night. Gatlinburg is 35 miles southeast of Knoxville and has a population of roughly 4,000 people.
“This is the worst of the wildfires we’ve had this year,” Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Dean Flener told The Huffington Post. “This is really bad.”
Over 14,000 people were evacuated and more than 12,000 power outages were reported, Flener said. He confirmed no fatalities had been reported, though four people were transported to the hospital for burn-related injuries. The TEMA has yet to determine the cause of the fire.
Mandatory evacuations for residents and visitors were ordered and the National Guard was mobilized to Sevier County to help transport firefighters, remove debris and check on residents, as the fire spread across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Monday night. Gatlinburg is 35 miles southeast of Knoxville and has a population of roughly 4,000 people.
“This is the worst of the wildfires we’ve had this year,” Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Dean Flener told The Huffington Post. “This is really bad.”
Over 14,000 people were evacuated and more than 12,000 power outages were reported, Flener said. He confirmed no fatalities had been reported, though four people were transported to the hospital for burn-related injuries. The TEMA has yet to determine the cause of the fire.
The agency’s website reported the closure of State Highway 441 as the fires continue to burn in Sevier County.
“For this specific area, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” Jamie Sanders, executive assistant of public affairs for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service, told HuffPost.
Firefighters from surrounding counties have been called in to help combat the flames. Flener couldn’t say if or when the fires will be contained. He recommended that those affected avoid going outside, as the agency reported heavy smoke “beginning to settle in parts of the county.”
Sanders said she believes the fire is not actively spreading, although she noted it’s difficult to evaluate the fire’s reach because of “extremely restricted” visibility.
Weather reports indicate rain later could come later the day, though a high-wind warning was issued this morning for Sevier County, increasing the difficulty of containing the blaze.
“The winds don’t work in their favor, but hopefully the rain will,” Flener said.
The fire started Monday night at the top of Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains outside of Gatlinburg and spread from there, Sanders said. She emphasized the importance of the predicted rainfall.
“We’re just going to pray for rain,” she said.
People in the area shared images of the blaze on social media (story continues below):
Kyle Grainger WVLT
@KyleGrainger
Shelters have been set up in the area for evacuees. Facebook activated its safety check for those close to the disaster.
“We urge the public to pray. We urge the public to stay off the highways. The traffic that is on the roads is emergency equipment. If (residents) could just stay home and stay tuned to their local media outlet,” said Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller, according to WBIR, the NBC station in Knoxville.
“Fire was coming over the mountains, and the smoke was so bad we could barely breathe as we were trying to pack up,” Mike Gill, who was trying to evacuate, told the network.
Ripley Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg evacuated all of its workers, reportedly leaving behind 10,518 animals. Ryan DeSear, the aquarium’s general manager, said the aquarium is fine, as far as he knows.
“As long as we have fuel in our generators, the aquarium can run on its own,” he told WBIR.
“For this specific area, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” Jamie Sanders, executive assistant of public affairs for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service, told HuffPost.
Firefighters from surrounding counties have been called in to help combat the flames. Flener couldn’t say if or when the fires will be contained. He recommended that those affected avoid going outside, as the agency reported heavy smoke “beginning to settle in parts of the county.”
Sanders said she believes the fire is not actively spreading, although she noted it’s difficult to evaluate the fire’s reach because of “extremely restricted” visibility.
Weather reports indicate rain later could come later the day, though a high-wind warning was issued this morning for Sevier County, increasing the difficulty of containing the blaze.
“The winds don’t work in their favor, but hopefully the rain will,” Flener said.
The fire started Monday night at the top of Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains outside of Gatlinburg and spread from there, Sanders said. She emphasized the importance of the predicted rainfall.
“We’re just going to pray for rain,” she said.
People in the area shared images of the blaze on social media (story continues below):
Video of folks evacuating Gatlinburg. Multiple sirens around the city.
u resort in Pigeon Forge was also evacuated, although the fire had not yet reached the property, the station reported.
“We were just told by the Gatlinburg Fire Department that they had
told everybody in Gatlinburg to get out,” Judy Tucker, director of
Sevier County’s E-911 call center, told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “No one’s getting through to anyone. Phones are ringing and not being answered anywhere. It’s chaos.”Shelters have been set up in the area for evacuees. Facebook activated its safety check for those close to the disaster.
“We urge the public to pray. We urge the public to stay off the highways. The traffic that is on the roads is emergency equipment. If (residents) could just stay home and stay tuned to their local media outlet,” said Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller, according to WBIR, the NBC station in Knoxville.
“Fire was coming over the mountains, and the smoke was so bad we could barely breathe as we were trying to pack up,” Mike Gill, who was trying to evacuate, told the network.
Ripley Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg evacuated all of its workers, reportedly leaving behind 10,518 animals. Ryan DeSear, the aquarium’s general manager, said the aquarium is fine, as far as he knows.
“As long as we have fuel in our generators, the aquarium can run on its own,” he told WBIR.
People shared concerns for the safety of the animals on social media
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