Waited a month to report this event and turn over the pictures they took to forestry officials! I asked my husband to go outside and hook up the water hose we had disconnected for winter. Much of the southeastern United States had been suffering extremely dry conditions for two to three months. At least seven people have died and dozens have been hospitalized in wildfires in Tennessee that have ravaged a popular tourist town and forced thousands from their homes. A friend that owns a rental company there said that about 90% of the homes in the area which leave them 10% they can rent or sale. Lets look in the mirror before we are too quick to blame someone else. It is very steep terrain, I would estimate about a 65 degree incline, but it is not easy to fall to your death there. We are facing some very large problems around our globe and in our own home communities, that will require some out of the box thinking and collaboration, some tough questions, and a lot of personal accountability review and growth. We shouldnt have expected anything else, I dont know what we were thinking. Stupidity is as stupidity does. What is these adults had taken immediate action to correct and intervene in this unsafe behavior by children. Spirit Airlines . Thats perfect Johnny. It is not a black and white world, not a this or that, it is all encompassing. Stumps burned into the ground and look like volcano caldera. As a mountain boy who loves the harshest terrain even I couldnt imagine trying to run a fire line in this area. In addition thorough explanations could have been given for the reasons for calling for the Voluntary Evacuation and could have been published. 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. Take my word for it, Ive seen back scratching going on down there for over 40 years. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the GFD, Gatlinburg Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. I convinced my husband to drive back toward our house to see if we could see the fire. This goes all the way to our Congress and irresponsible, blind, budget cutting exercises. This makes no logical sense. 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? I loved the area, the town, homes, everything. The learning system of resolution. So because of his and other incompetence property owners are paying the price. The multiple chain of events you refer to is also simple, two juvenile delinquents set the fire, the park service knew it existed and they did absolutely nothing to put it out. 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. My boys and I do not have images of wildfires that we would have seen had we waited to leave home. 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 . People that I know said that not implementing fire suppression is exactly what they should have done, so we can agree to disagree. She replied, Mrs. A good example of the kind of human factors that continue to get in the way of better preparedness and change for the good is the backlash in which one reporter from NC received when she asked tough questions of some officials. Bill thank you the excellent i sight and info that is hard to find publicly. There was much deadwood on the forest floor, including the Hemlocks and other species both down and standing dead. I dont understand, but I dont judge. As we reached the Parkway, everything was deserted. Undoubtedly, the current management of our natural resources will come before the Judgments of the Almighty; for human lives were lost in this fire. night at 9pm when mom said there was evacuation notice on TV. The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. This is as far as this subject needs to go; for the objective of this site is in regard to wildfire. Most excellently put, Jeannine (you are an exceptional writer). Can we allow room for others to fail forward? It was the hottest summer we ever felt. Our government has been paying these communications companies millions in tax breaks and tax dollars to provide cellular and other affordable services to rural America, and they are failing to do so or providing the services at outrageous rates. However, by the time a federal judge dropped the charges six months later, some had lost focus on the fire. NO managing wildfire is much more complex, especially in a multiple fire drought driven incident like managers were dealing with on this incident. The dead hemlock had to have been of huge impact to the fire. First of all I was very concerned when the wildfires started over in North Carolina, in some of the National Forest that border Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The whole thing is unconscionable to me. Any person involved in any sort of firefighting/fire ecology/fire control/fire management profession learns these basic fire physic scientific principals from day oneeither from formal training or through hands on fire behavior observations . Honor. All you left out was Howie Long jumping out of a plane on a motorcycle with a chainsaw running and you would have knocked that thing into last century! Lets see, that would probably consist of a GS-5 or 6 and two or three seasonal GS-4s. He told me he was scared to drive the truck-its a lot more cumbersome in the local terrain than his little Outback. I feel sad for everyone involved. 321) at Glades Road and the Post Office. notice should have been at 5-6 given the wind. I have been on both sides of that equation before and still real-ling from my own losses that will negatively affect me and my family for life, because no one took the time to question or look into the story presented to them by those authorities in charge. they if you limit that to local staff might not have as much fire management experience as say Yosemite or Yellowstone. There are many many folks who even if cell service were functional could not afford it. Numerous photos show a dramatic increase in smoke in the downtown area between 5 and 5:30 pm. Screenshot from the Knox News video. On November 27 the fire was a third of a mileas the crow flies from US Highway 441. That is when it began moving rapidly toward Gatlinburg. Even life-long locals said they had never seen rhododendren wither up before. Until theyre able to return, Neddo hates to see the Gatlinburg Parkway location gone, but he hopes the next place will be even better. Mitchell, Mt. The winds were blowing from the Chimneys more down the mountain than up toward LeConte. We have turned in a claim but still no word on a settlement. Not every fire manager gets the benefit of a meteorologist in your hip pocket, but there are many good weather websites available. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - One person died and another was injured in a large fire in downtown Gatlinburg Sunday. She has given me permission to share it on this site. Its incredulous that evacuation didnt go out then. What authority does NPS have outside GSMNP? What about helicopters dumping water? We drove west down the parkway. I believe that many, many people are alive now because they did use common sense but some of the people who died, were victims of circumstances that they should never have faced if their public officials had been acting solely on their responsibility, first and foremost, and perhaps only, to protect and serve. But there have also been many times when these so called experts were thrust into a different climate or situation and they too experienced failures. Excellent points, Jody. The action taken by firefighters on Monday was defensive, to protect threatened structures at a nearby National Park Service picnic ground. My nightmare depicted more what happened in Gatlinburg than so far in Branson. NPS officials are looking to avoid tort liability claims, plan & simple. Tommy Kirkland says: I told him my home was on fire and he said they were evacuating everyone,then. The contractor who had been working outside on the house left as it got dark early because of the smoke. I can only hope that the actions are being undertaken somewhere and by the decision-makers and leaders to think and act differently. Honor those who have risked much to help, indeed. As long as there are watchdogs for the truth such yourself, it will be hard to bury. I wonder why? It must have been Sunday, because a Type 1 team came in on Tuesday. Both east and west forks of the Pigeon River. We could see the smoke. I look forward to seeing the report when it comes out. We spent Thanksgiving there with our family, who left on Sunday. I turned on tv to see if there were warnings of any sort. During fire suppression efforts, crews found one person dead inside the structure. In late 2016, wildfires . I appreciate that fine quality of writing that expresses your thoughts in an easy to read yet structured style that makes sense. No evacuation orders issued- If I had gone to work that day my two sons would be dead. It would be interesting to understanding the impact of excessive fuel from dead hemlocks, killed by hemlock wooly adelgid (together with the lack of moisture typically found under a mature, live, shady hemlock canopy, even with the extreme drought conditions) had on this fire. Visited Gatlinburg for the first time in Oct 2016. May all the people find peace and forgiveness in the midst of this storm. Would be interesting to dig down to find the ash line (which is probably illegal on federal lands). Would it be wise to implement backfire with such strong winds forecasted on top of exceptional drought and fuels? I could not figure how to put pictures on Wildfire Today, so here are links to let you see whats happened in the Park. The DA in Sevier County has put a gag rule in effect since the get go to protect the teeneagers involved. A safefy plan for people in the event of the many natural threats, would have to be determined ahead of time though because that level of decision-making rarely occurs in the face of imminent danger. And . 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. I have here a firsthand account of how a homeowner, who lost her house, lived through the days before the fire and through the fire. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - On Friday, Gatlinburg city officials released a report detailing the downtown fire on Oct. 9 that killed one person and injured another. This come from long time residents, The prices we have been getting should be considered price gouging because that is exactly what it is. It is interesting, though not a surprise that when so many diverse experts from across the country and sometimes other countries come with diversity of experience, backgrounds, and training; all come together to handle a disastrous incident, such as this, they do so and often are quite successful. On the map below, the fire is the small dot in the center surrounded by the yellow line. As we drove south out of Pigeon Forge I took another photo before we entered the spur, which shows smoke and a red glow above Gatlinburg. Can fire experts examine burned areas and decipher the path of natural wildfire from managed ignited fires? The body of an unidentified person was found amid the rubble of a downtown section of buildings that. We watched the news the rest of evening. Accusations were abundant. 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. Hello Jon, for what its worth, I did some hiking in the Greenbrier area of the GSMNP back in October and didnt notice many dead hemlocks, although The Chimneys area may be different, which I havent hiked in years. For reference, 600 or above would indicate severe drought andincreased wildfire occurrence. A lady answered phone. Sunday, four days after the fire started, was the first time that any firefighting aircraft were used on the fire, Ms. Schroer said. 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. Its sad. It would be interesting to dig a little further on this. Even Congressman from east TN and western NC need to here it. How about that for arm chair quarter backing. I doubt that anyone other than the arsonists intended to cause harm in any way here, and knowing the ages of those who lit the fire, I doubt that they themselves had any idea of the potential outcome. Visibility was bad and it was hard to breathe as we unpacked our truck. I felt it urgent to get out of the woods. Considering the record of wind gusts between 5-6pm and that the fire had jumped US 441, NPS calling Gburg Fire Dept. For example politicians far away from the event make decisions regarding funding, resources and operations. Yet if no one raises cain about it, things will be rebuilt with no regard for such safety factors. The excellent Park folks seemed to just monitor it, and it resolved itself. Suggestion, contact Dolly Parton or representatives of her holdings and give her (them) the emergency phone line to Global Supertankers. What really was going on here? Officials will verify renters and lease holders, as needed. Sorry to hear that you lost your house, but you followed your wits which kept you from getting stuck there by downed trees over the road. Good comments by all. Many times this tactic takes commitment of over a week. Above: The Drought Monitor issued November 29 showed Exceptional Drought, the highest category, for the Gatlinburg area and large sections of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Local folks here who have been involved with Park issues have an old saying about the NPS and their mismanagement of historic structures. Why? because poor, inadequate human decision making allowing basic fire physics, fire chemistry and TIME to align resulting in avoidable death and destruction! Thank you for the timeline and the opportunity for comments. Gatlinburg Fire Department crews responded to the scene and received help from Pigeon Forge Fire Department, Pigeon Forge Police Department, Sevierville Fire Department, Pittman Center Volunteer Fire Department, Sevier County Emergency Management Agency, Sevier County Medical Examiners Office and Sevier County Ambulance Services. Then the wind comes!!! Especially our local emergency workers and the Park Service. The Spur or US 441 runs between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in the Smokies. Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg from the intersection at Traffic Light No. Hindsight is 20/20 and of course much coulda woulda shoulda is understandable. 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. They couldnt get out a cell mssg. I am a management specialist and I understand how to plan, and implement risk-protection and safety in many kinds of settings, to address various threats to people. They learned. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages. Sandra, I agree. I told him there wasnt when I got there at 5 oclock but I could not even see driveways on the way up. Why the Monday morning quarterbacks seems to always get it right, while those in the game make the errors and the scores, winning and losing. Almost every creek drainage in GSMNP has stands of dead hemlocks (though some areas near roads had some hemlocks treated regularly to prevent adelgid infestation). Our forest service guys have been very busy with hand efforts, running dozers in our hazardous terrain and with aircraft. The earlier fire on the hill was named Chimney Tops hence the name Chimney Tops 2 for the new blaze. OF COURSE the dead hemlocks (and spruces and firs) are changing the picture for fire danger. Their soft wood holds a lot of moisture normally, but the conditions the past few months would have dried the limbs and outer layers up the trunk. You may have a point regarding lawsuits, reported actions and actual actions. As they are minors, nothing else is known other than the Feds said the State could prosecute. It is truly appreciated. The miracle is that more people did not However, to expect her to honor the NPS is inappropriate considering reality and her circumstances. Anyone can arm chair quarterback incident manager decisions after the smoke clears. Wednesday, November 23, the day the fire started. I told him we would come pick him up in his car. The Championship side, who are 19th in the table, said there have been no injuries. A map posted with the Fire Information sign dated November 27 showed that the park hoped to stopthe fire before it crossed the bottom of drainages on the west, north and east sides, and the Chimney Tops Trail to the south. Just looking at media coverage on the evacuation order public messaging snafu points out that this fire will provide many lessons learned for future fire managers. I may be alone in thinking that, but I do think the Feds would stand up to local influence. All rights reserved. Though it will never be heard in our courts today, dont think the Almighty isnt going to bring it to Light; for human death was involved and the facts were dodged plan and simple. We believed the firefighters were going to stop the fire from entering the city. Once again: the questions remain unanswered. So my husband called the Gatlinburg policy department with the same questions and got the same answers. Until you sit in my seat after 20 years of fire service, making decisions on where to send your firefighters based on their experience levels, you will then realize decisions have trade offs and sometimes Mother Nature over rules you. teams had Lake Lure and Tate City evacuate when high winds were forecast. Many structures were lost- thankfully no lives. Tom, I want to express to you how sorry I am to hear about the loss of your cabin, what you went through escaping the fire, what you have gone through since the fire and what you are facing. Oddly, some folks that posted photos of the fire of the 23rd in its early stages have either pulled the blogs or the material cannot be accessed. Many on that team are not NPS employees, but are highly experienced wildfire fighters. Thanksgiving Day Global Supertanker 747 is responding to wild fires in Israel. Im thankful to be tuned in. The more we let our selves be vulnerable and courageous in the face of tough situations, the more chance that we have that we will fall, and we will; we all will at some point if we take that risk to be brave and courageous. 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. I am not holding my breath. I guess they are helping the people they always help and the rest of us are out of luck. When one seriously examines the events, these lives could have been spared despite the power of fire and wind. Unfortunately human lives were lost and hundreds of folks have been displaced. The next morning, the morning of 28th, I took boys to school and went to a dr. appointment in Sevierville. Kids should be charged and pay a price but so do several officials in the good old boy still lives on in the town of Gatlinburg. The city and the county has always been about one thing. If their destination is not lit, they have to land there no later than 30 minutes after sunset. Since November 29 it has rained about every 2 to 3 daysin the Gatlinburg area. And I dont write about that many of them. How did I know that? Officials say the road will be closed for an extended period. As for Caf 420, they have plans to rebuild, and their employees will keep their jobs. They were in their driveway with a water hose. The use of smokejumpers could be part of the plan. Standing dead hemlock burned up their trunks, to as high as 50 feet on one specimen I saw. wasnt blocked off since Mynatt Park was told to evacuate at 5:17. Drought, fall winds, fuel moistures that havent recovered in months, what part of this disaster was a surprise. This is a developing story. 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. Youve certainly added much food for thought. I hope the recordings werent pulled under threat of someones attorney or the DA. I spent two weeks in the area after the fire to inspect my property and ascertain where my wife and I would go from there. I thought if we were have to leave we could take both vehicles to our friends house to sit out the night. Chile is nearly a third world nation. We are excited to start new memories and get back on the trails. What good does it do to lynch those who are learning and gaining the very experience we expect and seek? From an all hazards POV large scale fire should have been recognized long before any drought conditions. View Google or Bing aerial photos of the past year hundreds of dead trees with the tale-tell circular pattern of limbs stands out against the foliage. Three people were killed and 14 others sent to area hospitals, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said Tuesday. 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 lawsuits from an event like Gatlinburg could go on for decades. After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire. I have a photo I took from the Walmart parking lot looking south that shows how smoky it was in Pigeon Forge. Our house sat below the road about 30 feet. I agree that there needs to to be a change of attitude about climate change, wildfire potential in the east, an adaptation to changing conditions and a throwing out of the holding on to the been there done that, know all there is to know, seen this before thinking and the holding onto a world that used to be. Early in the afternoon we began to see large crewcab pickup trucks driving past our home. At that time their were no burn permits or building permit requirements either. But any land manager that expects to allow active spreading fire behavior for weeks or months is knowingly taking a risk that a wind event unpredictable weeks or months in advance will occur and change everything, sometimes with a very undesirable outcome. I said a quick prayer for safety and we started up hill to leave our truck. The Knox News timeline alone has enough info for several indictments. 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. The Gatlinburg fire chief put out a notice for additional help to come to Gatlinburg around 11:52 pm. The IMT reported that the fire had not increased in size over the previous 24 hours and was still listed at 17,006 acres. Virtually no one knows they have it and THEY DID NOT USE IT. We need a growing pool of resources who have gained knowledge and wisdom hat can be applied to future events, not to lessen the pool by throwing out those who failed but are not a failure. I called Bob back and told him I was leaving hurriedly and that I would call him when we had made it out of woods to Pigeon Forge. Ten people were hospitalized after a Spirit Airlines plane bound for Orlando, Florida, made an emergency landing in Jacksonville due to a fire onboard, according to officials. Thanks again for your touching reply. This Park Ranger was appointed to this position in December 2014 and he took office in February 2015, so in a span of one year and nine months he managed to let the place burn and we have owned property there for 32 years and nothing remotely like this has ever happened.