It is this same type of think tank and diversity we need in reaching a host of solutions to our complexity of problems both in this situation and in all others. The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. When we reached our car at road level, we saw flames coming over the ridge directly south of our house. I responded that the climate is changing, and so are other related situations, and there will be. Given enough time the clock will run out and the weather will either be in the fire mangers favor or WATCH OUT! My wife and I hiked to Alum Cave Bluffs Saturday, Nov. 26, while the fire was small up on the Chimneys. Kelly you are right, NO Help from City or County in the clean up..SOS home owners responsible for all.. 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. Stantons car was full of gas and only has liability insurance. Regardless, the appropriate aerial assault should continue. I do remember the bad fires in the 1990s in Florida and Colorado (I was in Glenwood Springs at a week-long seminar only a week after the Storm King Mountain aka South Canyon fire). Experience must be coupled with training and planning based on forecasted possibilities and even un-forecasted what ifs. I have a lot of pictures to share via my blog. 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 . 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. This year has been crazy, with so many fires happening in Autumn. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) Firefighters have found a body in the remains of a building that burned in downtown Gatlinburg, officials said. You are among several Gatlinburg residents that posted local officials told them that everything was OK as late as 5:30 and there was no evacuation notice. Updated: Dec. 25, 2022 at 6:15 PM PST. If Knox media wanted to go after the NPS or someone else wanted them to, it is possible that even their timeline and investigation is slanted. 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! Our place was gone. The People have been deceived with a vague and biased investigation regarding this particular bear incident. There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. The city and the county has always been about one thing. Obviously spent no time in the military so they didnt know how to field dress A cigarette and pack it out. Early in the afternoon we began to see large crewcab pickup trucks driving past our home. I seriously question if bias will be discreetly worked into this agency and their review of the fire?? Ever since Hurricane Katrina, I have doubted the ability of our emergency managers to plan for any aspect of, or kind of disaster, and the fire in Gatlinburg only supports my concerns. 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. Until 1 p.m. sustained speeds were 4 to 6 mph with gusts at 12 to 19 mph. She may have chosen poor timing, and perhaps not the best method of tackling the issues, but nonetheless we need to start asking the tough questions without being so offended and then take a good hard look at the issues, and how they can be resolved. Humans will never be able to control or suppress all unwanted fires-structure, chemical or wildland. The forecasts are supposed to be detailed and customized predictions of the weather at a particular location, or spot, for at least the next two days. I hope they can train more local governments how to handle big wildfire situations. GATLINBURG, Tennessee -- The charges have been dropped against two teens who were accused of starting the wildfires in Gatlinburg last fall. And no doubt books both factual and not on this event. California couple whose gender-reveal party sparked a wildfire charged The leafless trees allowed more sunlight to hit the fuel, drying it out even more. People died and lost so much and that is absolutely tragic! Great info/synopsis of the Gatlinburg/Sevier county wildfires. This is the way to honor each other and to learn. I wonder why? Fourteen people lost their lives. This article shows NPS was concerned by and notified of impending high winds. It was shaking the car as we drove. Its incredulous that evacuation didnt go out then. The age of information is both eye opening and scary, the potential for manipulation is astounding! To repeat what you have already said, people on the mountain especially Chalet Village north, no longer feel safe . Bats were roosting in the church rafters and dropping feces onto the pews. Had this fire+wind storm happened 3-4 weeks earlier it would have been exponentially worse, lots to be thankful for as we morn with TN. But when it's close to home, the sadness and concern of those affected is ten-fold in the worry department. The miracle is that more people did not Citing the steep terrain and the safety of firefighters, fire managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) decided not to take direct action on the fire which would entail constructing fireline along the edge of the fire to remove the fuel that allows it to spread. I hope this video puts people at ease that this fire is. This is a failure at the city, county and state levels, as well as top FEMA, leadership. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages. I have an Gatlinburg address but the county services my street. The GRSM person that requested the Spot wrote: Concerned about ridgetop winds with the coming front. The Knox News timeline alone has enough info for several indictments. Some of those businesses told WVLT News they have a long road ahead as they wait on insurance adjustors to calculate their losses. As citizens we should be aware of all threats we face and expect our leadership to plan ahead as best they can. Council will utilize the 100s of wildfire experts testimony that the forresty service and local fire chief should have thrown everything they had at the Chimney 2 blaze the day it happened and everyone and every resource they could use from out of state that could get there within 24 hours. The fire continued to spread throughout the entire structure. My main purpose in commenting was to differentiate between a monitored wildfire and prescribed fire. We could smell smoke from the fires in NC for a month before the fire began on Chimney Tops. The fire broke out around 6:30 a.m. at the mall on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. Very well said Tommy. But the condition of the fuel was also important since it happenedduring what the National Weather Service (NWS) calls exceptional drought conditions. 6 to the intersection at Reagen Drive reopened Monday afternoon after being closed Sunday morning, according to a release. Things dont change unless people stand up and make them change. View all posts by Bill Gabbert. State charges dropped in Gatlinburg fires - Smoky Mountain News 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. We all contribute to this phenomenon if not intentionally but unintentionally, simply by the design of our brains! The fire on Sunday caused extensive damage to a block of businesses and left some with only charred debris, news outlets reported, citing a statement from the city. 2 min read. China Bazaar, Puckers Sports Grill, Gifts of Gatlinburg, and Caf 420 were all deemed a complete loss. I also noted that the use of Red Flag Alerts and prescribed burning around some of the more populace areas was both lacking, and being conducted during predicted high wind conditions. Those with information are urged to contact the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017 or the GFD at 865-436-5112. 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.. The winds were blowing from the Chimneys more down the mountain than up toward LeConte. It was as if time had passed with no motivational disaster to spur this awareness, at least not in my local community. With that all happening before lunch. @wvlt pic.twitter.com/P7roVBCq8B. This fire as did others around this time had highly predictable potential for massive and rapid spread. Every business downtown was closed except for Bubba Gumps. But very little if any fire suppression activity occurred until Monday, November 28. Hong Kong skyscraper fire could mean $64M payout, cause under investigation Which is why human history keeps repeating itself over and over. My vacation cabin in Gatlinburg burn to the ground on November 28. I was struck by the daunting task of creating a viable fire-prevention plan in that area of constant tourist turnover, and the way it is laid-out. Its always been this way so you have to watch who you deal with, this is why the City and County need to clean this up, this would bring down the prices of these people with signs up everywhere for clean up. Second, why not attempt water drops and fire retardant despite their reasoning it wouldnt do any good. The coordination and communication of the Incident Management teams is impressive. Kelly Morgans comments may have been harsh and offensive to some folks; but when government builds a wall; sometimes it takes a loud voice to get their attention. An in depth investigation should be launched and the (ir)responsible parties identified. Despite that, officials now say that the Gatlinburg fire began in the park and was. 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. Regarding the Chimney Tops Fire of Nov 14th, 2016, https://www.facebook.com/GreatSmokyMountainsNPS/posts/1236286613095333. Once again, can fire discreetly smolder in the duff amid rock crevices? Vincent Gabrielle, Knoxville News Sentinel. A lot of personnel put forth heroic efforts to save lives and we should all be grateful for that. Questions are powerful tools, but only when we allow them to be asked, we receive them with an openness and willingness to be vulnerable, and seek to answer them openly and without fear of reprisal. GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) Wildfires have ravaged Sevier County six years after deadly fires destroyed parts of Gatlinburg. There are thousands and thousands of people who feel as I do about your loss and the losses of so many people in Gatlinburg and the surrounding area. Classic Swiss Cheese risk management fire management failurehave we as a profession learned anything since South Canyon, Yarnell and now Chimney Top 2? The appearance of dead hemlock progression is astounding. they may be using too wide a brush to place blame. Accountability is important and paying the price for our decisions is too. So many unanswered questions? Why are there not more prescribed and controlled burns being conducted? Late Monday afternoon the Gatlinburg Fire Department began informing some residents of a voluntary evacuation. The needle suffered extensive damage and was closed for three years. Thanks Henry. That and your wish to pay 50% income tax and there will never be a fire again! I repeat The NPS and the Fire Chief of Gatlinburg should have started fighting the Chimney Tops 2 fire aggressively the day it was discovered.
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