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The man at the Forestry base told him the winds were predicted to keep getting stronger and to be careful of falling limbs. Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire. (Credit: Tom Williams), Two people in custody after police chase, manhunt near Warrior & Hayden, Protest held in memory of Glenn Foster Junior, Fire department K-9 dies during search and rescue mission. My husband and I were at our house in Gatlinburg, just north of the Park Vista, on the night of the fire. As a citizen with a firefighting background, I knew days ahead of time that high mountain winds were expected in the Eastern TN/NC Mountains, coupling that with the extreme drought conditions and the knowledge of the massive amount of ground fuel available in the forest based on being in the forest regularly even just days prior, outside observing the conditions and the terrain. I cannot count how many times my wife or I would find a fire smoldering typically from someone who flipped a lit cigarette and the brush when they were finished. In my eyes, TEMA should have taken control of the situation and ordered evacuations before sunset. I began to notice people smoking while driving their vehicles when I would be out and about and they would flick burning embers out windows and sometimes throw cigarettes out windows. Most of those people got out of the pre-evac zone just to be safe and watch the fire at a distance. The Chimney Tops 2 Fire was reported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, TN at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, 2016. If the new location isnt in Gatlinburg, it will definitely be in Sevier County. Take care and hang in there. But I believe there is a fourth element of fire behavior prediction and that is the element of situational awareness. Wednesday, November 23, the day the fire started. Most of the people that own property down there like me live elsewhere in the real world were things cannot be as easily shoved under the rug like they are down there. But the condition of the fuel was also important since it happenedduring what the National Weather Service (NWS) calls exceptional drought conditions. But very little if any fire suppression activity occurred until Monday, November 28. View all posts by Bill Gabbert. I later learned that Sevier County pays for an emergency notification system called Code Red Alert. perish, but for the 14 who did, I would like to know if the same two kids are also responsible for the first Chimney fire? No pre-evacuation notice was sent so citizens could be ready to depart. This eventually will affect us all at some point in time, as we too may one day find ourselves faced with similar circumstance. Lets hope that this round regarding the fire and loss of life, it will be more difficult for officials to weasel out of this one. Who ever was in charge should loose their job!!! It is to be considered, but verified by other means. 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. The learning system of resolution. Personally, I have already started reconstruction on my cabin but the consensus on Chalet Village north which was 540 cabins and now stands only at 20 remaining Is that about 70% are not rebuilding for a variety of reasons . there is nothing that can address the failure of leadership at every level that contributed to that loss of life. Chief Kurtz was right on target to compare South Canyon, Yarnell, and now Chimney Top 2. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Holding the responsible people accountable is the only course of action that honors what was lost. We may never really know the truth about this situation just as with so many other current and prominent situations. High winds were to start soon and rain was 5 hours away as indicated by radar. Climate change, human, social, political and economic factors are all also a part of this outcome, cause and effect. Even though they are showing people receiving checks the day they apply, this was not the case for him. The report said the fire was an accident and caused around $7 million in damages. And on top of all that, they have teams that stay and clean up after the fires, repairing dozer and fire lines to reflect natural terrain, knocking down trees that would be a hazard to hikers and hunters, repairing the roads that heavy equipment damaged. But, that team is there to give future corrective actions, not to formulate lawsuits. 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. We shouldnt have expected anything else, I dont know what we were thinking. Published: Nov. 30, 2016, 8:41 p.m. Dry conditions and high winds caused a wildfire on Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains to spread quickly . GRSM posted Fire Information signs in the area explaining their monitoring strategy due to vertical cliffs, narrow rock ridges and steep drainages. Perhaps a simple thing like calling for a Voluntary Evacuation from Noon on that day could have made the danger more obvious in light of the forecast for storm warnings with high winds for the afternoon and overnight. On Sunday when GSMNP called in helicopter water drops, there were 3 fire tanker planes sitting on the runway 20 minutes away in Chattanooga (covered in Wildfire Today). Why are there not more prescribed and controlled burns being conducted? There is room for all to be as important as the other, and hold all of these ideals up at the same time, to honor and to debate. I hope that the firefighters, leaders, and authorities in this area make sure to perform in depth After Action Reviews and make changes to avoid these issues in the future. Deciding to keep air resources in reserve for initial attack on new starts rather than wash the fire off chimney tops was a good decision. The next morning, the morning of 28th, I took boys to school and went to a dr. appointment in Sevierville. Thanks for your rundown on the fire Bill. Firefighters from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge responded. I dont know details as to the trail. The day after the fire was reported 0.12 inch of rain was recorded at the official weather station recognized by the NWS, which may have made the managers of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) feel a little better about this new fire. As we drove in the smoke was no better than it had been when we left cabin, it was worse. The miracle is that more people did not This should not be a time to blame and inflame, but to think and act wisely. Thats perfect Johnny. I am sure the Alum Cave trail up Mt. By the way, the drainage to the northwest, where NPS had placed their line, is .2 mile and ~1,000 feet vertical (77% grade) of mostly weathered rock. I am in my late 60s and have never seen such a drought, or such low stream levels. We are to be stewards of the land. 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? 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. I hope this video puts people at ease that this fire is. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) Firefighters have found a body in the remains of a building that burned in downtown Gatlinburg, officials said. It's always sad to see the destructive forces of Mother Nature. Bob, I know where youre coming from. Location field must contain 'city, state' or a zip code to perform a radius search (e.g., Denver, CO or 46122).City and state must be separated by a comma followed by a space (e.g., Houston, TX) Branches were hitting the house with a great deal of force. 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! The cause of the fire has still not been determined. Even so, is it risky to ignite backfire with such extreme fire conditions? Instead simply took pictures on their phone, 3. The mayor and many fireman lost their homes and businesses, not to mention the deaths. I get free speech, but if I yelled fire in a crowded theater when there was none and it contributed to death and injury I too would be held liable; my speech would not be protected! The Chimney Tops 2 could be a good case in point. Can fire experts examine burned areas and decipher the path of natural wildfire from managed ignited fires? Shortly after he left, he called my husband to tell him that the road between our house and downtown Gatlinburg was blocked by a crew from Sevier County Electric. Dollywood flat out refused to even consider we needed any help and also tried to shame our neighbor to discourage home not to take it. strong south, southwest winds, extreme drought, low humidity..ect.., that something similar didnt happen here. Those with information are urged to contact the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017 or the GFD at 865-436-5112. 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. Visibility was bad and it was hard to breathe as we unpacked our truck. Not clouding the issues with the intent to take down a person. Officials say the road will be closed for an extended period. My nightmare depicted more what happened in Gatlinburg than so far in Branson. I hold you in my thoughts and prayers for healing and recovery there are others who have posted about their losses on this blog, Kelly for one, and I did not give myself peymidfipn to say these words to them at the time .. Love your neighbors, yes. 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. When two juveniles were arrested on December 7 and charged with aggravated arson, many people assumed they had the answer. The status of individual structures in the Gatlinburg area can be found at arcgiscom. Given enough time the clock will run out and the weather will either be in the fire mangers favor or WATCH OUT! On Monday morning we awoke to the smell of smoke. As for Caf 420, they have plans to rebuild, and their employees will keep their jobs. True, our firefighters and 1st responders put their lives in harms way and we should respect them; and yet distinguish these folks from officials who are undoubtedly making bad calls/decisions. Why the complacency? Jordans comments on the video indicates that their management was taking care to show how they were not responsible. I said a quick prayer for safety and we started up hill to leave our truck. Over 130 sustained injuries, and 1,684 structures have been damaged or destroyed. When one seriously examines the events, these lives could have been spared despite the power of fire and wind. He asked them if they had any information on the fire and they told him Youve got nothing to worry about. By this time the wind was blowing hard and strong. Jim Renfro, the air quality specialist for GRSM, said the strongest wind gust recorded at Cove Mountain was 87 mph at 9 p.m. on Monday. There isn't one specific cause behind the fires, Boyd said. It is very hard and slow to navigate through laurel stands and the thick Tennesee Barbed Wire Briar patches. There will be legal repercussions because of incompetence. Stanton wanted to go but I was afraid to for several reasons. It upset a lot of locals, but many lauded it. What did City officials not understand about the approaching danger? I look forward to seeing the report when it comes out. Join our group. A year or two ago, there was a small fire on Rocky Spur on the Rainbow Falls Trail up Mt. I parked truck right beside a big mound of rip rap that Bob had dumped for lining the ditches on sides of our neighborhood roads, which arent through roads. What about firefighter safety? Officials will verify renters and lease holders, as needed. Too old to start over, fear it could happen again and they could be in their home like I was, or out and out mistrust of local government. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. The earlier fire on the hill was named Chimney Tops hence the name Chimney Tops 2 for the new blaze. Even Congressman from east TN and western NC need to here it. My husband stopped the car and the two men inside identified themselves as city water department employees. A high-elevation area that possessed the largest unbroken Spruce-Fir forest in the S. Appalachians. Our house was in a direct N/S line from the Chimneys. Gatlinburg is in Sevier County. How many sorties could those planes do in an single day even if they had been deployed on Even Friday?? As we reached the Parkway, everything was deserted. During the investigation, fire officials interviewed a cleaner of Loco Burro who saw a person matching Bates description the morning of the fire. I dont think so they were the people in charge not any of us and they didnt do their job. Hemlocks were mentioned in a number of daily updates on Inciweb because they are basically standing roman candles thanks to the spiral of limbs. I told him I would call fire department in Gatlinburg across from Food City. They just hurl mean criticisms and put downs from a safe distance Brene Brown. Yes. Hit it with all you have the Moment it breaks out. The extremely dry conditions in the area, though, should have raised the concern level.