Dolly Partons famous Dollywood theme park near the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee was closed Tuesday as a wildfire ravaged the area and made its way seriously close to the parks border. Everytime the wind blew you could see the top of the mountain glow with the stoked fire. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Downtown Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community were unaffected by the fires, so visitors should expect to be able to enjoy some time of their vacations in Gatlinburg starting Friday. [23], Two unnamed juveniles were initially charged with aggravated arson in connection to the fires; however, charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence as well as language in an agreement between the State of Tennessee and the Department of the Interior which excluded state jurisdiction from prosecuting criminal activities that occurred entirely within the park. Mother and daughters had run from their home in the Chalet Village community after they watched a neighbors house burst into flame. Gatlinburg, Tennessee CNN Fanned by strong winds and the Southeast's worst drought in nearly a decade, at least 14 wildfires burned in and around Gatlinburg, Tennessee, forcing evacuations. What Caused the Gatlinburg Fire of 2016? The luggage was a lost cause because we couldnt get the smell out. Our suggestion is to GIVE DIRECTLY" to 3 accounts: PLEASE KNOW: these 3 accounts/funds are setup and administered by The City of Pigeon Forge, The City of Gatlinburg and The Dollywood Company, and all (100%) of the money will go to help aid the families displaced by the wildfires. The Gatlinburg fire of 2016 began in late November - the day before Thanksgiving - on Chimney Tops Trail in a period of extreme drought. Heres Our Top 7, Is the Laurel Falls Hike Easy? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. When I read this article I cried again. (Contributed photo/Tennessee State Troopers). All rights reserved (About Us). Was admiring Gods handy work just today! Bull Head ridge was one of the first areas the fires "ridge hopped" to on Monday, November 28, 2016. Remembering the Gatlinburg Wildfires five years later - WBRC Many of you continue to ask about making financial/cash contributions to help our displaced families thank you so very much! The event featured country music artists such as Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, John Rich, John Oates, and Kristian Bush, and Dolly Parton. The fire claimed the lives of 14 people, injured an estimated 190 people and caused millions in damages and devastation. thesmokies.com. Did the boys set the Chimney Tops II fire? It was one of the largest natural disasters in the state of Tennessees history. Monetary donations, which assist those affected in securing temporary housing during the rebuilding process, are still needed. What Caused the Gatlinburg Fire of 2016? Here's the Real Story A detention hearing set for the two boys for Friday was postponed and both are still being held in the county juvenile detention center. When we got to Knoxville, I would watch it on the news, because my family owns a vacation cabin in Townsend, just two miles from where the Walland fires were burning. 11-26-16 dreary Gatlinburg Fire by Gary Millar, Smokies Strong telethon raises $270,000 to assist disaster relief, LIST: What's damaged, destroyed and intact, Sevier County works to begin rebuilding process; offering employment assistance, Timeline: The response before fires hit Gatlinburg, 2 Juveniles Charged With Arson, Suspected Of Starting Deadly Tennessee Wildfire, $9 million raised for Dolly Parton's 'My People Fund' so far, Confirmed victims of Smoky Mountain wildfires, Charges dropped against juveniles in Gatlinburg wildfires, Gatlinburg Mountain Tough Benefit Festival, City Of Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, The Dollywood Foundation My People Fund , Sevier County Fire Relief Fund at any branch of Citizens National Bank in East Tennessee, Gatlinburg Relief Fund at any branch of SmartBank in East Tennessee. Available supplies include bottled water, adult- and childrens-sized apparel, footwear, blankets, food, beverages, over-the-counter medications, personal hygiene products, diapers, flashlights, baby formula and more. To make a $10 donation, text the word REDCROSS to 90999. The ABS report listed some communication successes such as the call for mutual aid but listed six major communication issues as well. Three victims died together Constance Reed, 34, and her two daughters, Chloe, 12, and Lily, 9. Donation collection efforts that are already under way will be received at the distribution center. [8][9][10][11][12][13][excessive citations], By December 12, the fires had burned more than 10,000 acres (15 square miles) inside the national park, and 6,000 acres in other parts of the area. Family and friends were worried about what direction the fires were going. Sat. Gatlinburg and Sevier County burned the night of Nov. 28, 2016. Fire erupts on both side of Highway 441 between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. Extraordinarily dry conditions, combined with a wind storm with hurricane-like power and a problematic fire in a hard-to-reach spot at the Chimney Tops trail on the Wednesday prior, created hell on one of the prettiest places on Gods Earth. Im curious to know if the NPS was sued by the families who lost loved ones and the businesses who suffered damage or loss. Press ESC to cancel. It was a sad and stressful time for East Tennessee. Once we had arrived home in Georgia, we turned on the news to see that the fire was threatening the entire area. sources close to the investigation told the Knoxville News Sentinel. I guess I was being selfish because all I could think was our Smokies was on fire! We were deeply saddened to hear of the heartbreaking accident at ICON Park in Orlando, Fla. What happened to the Gatlinburg arsonists? I too live here. Of course, they will heal eventually. Park officials closed roads and trails. Find out which popular steakhouse prepared each of these delicious bites of steak below (photos by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com), Flapjack's Pancake Cabin has six locations around the Smokies (photo by Morgan Overholt/TheSmokies.com), I live here and I remember that evening eating at Henderson Chapel Baptist Church and see and smelling the woods on fire And yes, I like most other do believe those kids did start this fire and they should of been [accountable] for it but if itd not been for their daddy knowing the right person! In other words, messages sometimes did not reach the intended recipients due to a combination of factors. . At least 300 structures have been affected by the fires, which could mean anything from a burnt porch step to an entire cabin destroyed. Still, officials were in communication with the NPS. We made it as far as the Alamo restaurant when it caught on fire. A yellow brown haze was everywhere. The Chimney 2 Fire is increasingly being contained, while all of the fires in the Gatlinburg area have been successfully put out. Calls for mutual aid went out across the region. The fire burned more than 17,000 acres of land, killed 14 people and damaged more than 2,000 buildings. A time our family will never forgot. What Happened In Gatlinburg Tennessee? (Solution found) The humidity values for the area on Sunday, November 26 dropped to an exceptionally low 17%, and the national weather service warned to expect 40 mph winds the following day. The cause of the fire is still undetermined and under investigation. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It was shocking and upsetting. I happened to stumble across this video, and it brought back memories. Read Also: How Much Is Dolly Parton Worth? It took 3 Pigeon Forge residents were allowed to return today. Even the 911 system could not handle all the calls it received, and calls intended for Sevier County went to Putnam County instead. Just enough to scar me. The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. Read Also: Are Gatlinburg Fires Common? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Didnt know for 24 hours that our cabin was spared. [16][17] In addition, the fires were also the most deadly and destructive of the 2016 Southeastern United States wildfires. Her theme park, Dollywood (in Pigeon Forge), was largely spared from damage. Defense attorney Gregory P. November of 2016 brought the largest wildfire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks history, marking the largest natural disaster in Tennessees history. Sadly, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Hillbilly Golf is a victim to the regions wildfires. Was Ober Gatlinburg affected by the fire? I havent lived in Tennessee in the past nine years, but its my home state, so I was definitely scarred and heartbroken when this whole event happened. I pray for the folks who lost life, God bless as you still recover. That evening we were on the deck and the winds were fierce. We ended up driving in a panic but managed to got out of there by the skin of our teeth. [4][24][25] Throughout the course of the investigation which revealed that many of the area fires were likely caused by embers wind-blown from the existing larger fire, local officials declined to release any information about the fires or response, citing an erroneous interpretation of a gag order.[26]. A lack of early notice was the most critical failure of all. A popular tourist destination was engulfed by flames. What Caused The Gatlinburg Fire - BikeHike KNOXVILLE Prosecutors have dropped charges against two Tennessee teenagers they labeled as responsible for the states deadliest wildfire in a century, an attorney confirmed Friday. View of some of the burned area of the park from Carlos Campbell Overlook NPS photo by Lisa Nagurny Last updated: September 1, 2022 Was this page helpful? I was born and raised in Blount County, a neighbor to Sevier County. Absolutely. All rights reserved (About Us). We are overwhelmed by the generosity that has been shown. We continue to come to Gatlinburg frequently. It was listed as approximately 3 acres burning at the summit on the trail. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. What You Need to Know About the Gatlinburg Wildfire The quick actions of many of the areas firefighters, police and EMS workers saved lives, but often they were operating without enough information. On November 27, while the fire was still inside the containment boundary, three Chinook helicopters dumped water on the fire in an effort to mitigate its spread. Then we watched as a transformer fell across the valley from us and started a ground fire which spread to that house and then another house. Governor Bill Haslam viewed the fires from above, and said it was "a little numbing" to see the extent of the damage. West found that the "My People Fund," in tandem with traditional disaster response, gave families the ability to make decisions that were most beneficial to them, and concluded that unconditional cash support may be more beneficial for disaster relief than conditional financial support.

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