Fourteen people lost their lives. But until the awareness of possibility and the letting go of holding onto what we think we know to be the truth much will remain unchanged. Nearby businesses feel the same. Thanks for the legwork. The miracle is that more people did not The main road out of Gatlinburg is the Spur, which is the 5 mile stretch of Park Service Road that lies between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The cause of the fire has still not been determined. I have an Gatlinburg address but the county services my street. Now I can only imagine what children or adults with issues might have gleaned from this message being broadcast. Once again the County and the City is sitting around twiddling their thumbs and doing nothing just like they did when the fire started and they could have contained it. 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. These people both the successful along with the ones who erred and experienced failure, courageously risked being vulnerable in order to help others. Excellent information and supporting documentation. Watch This is Now, live from the Hawaii News Now Digital Center, weekdays on KHNL at 12 p.m. and on all of our streaming platforms. Lastly, I would after this last election year never ever put stake into social media as any sort of official news, witness accounts or other fact finding mission. I learned that it is extremely difficult to manage, rather than suppress, a wildland fire for an extended period of time. The 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, also known as the Gatlinburg wildfires, [1] were a complex of wildfires which began in late November 2016. I am thankful so many are not only opening their eyes here, but taking action and questioning. Obviously spent no time in the military so they didnt know how to field dress A cigarette and pack it out. 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. Bob and Stanton snuck around back roads and made it in a few days earlier than most and found what we were fearing. Thanks for your rundown on the fire Bill. One of the owners of the impacted businesses called a contractor to demolish a damaged portion of the building. I saw Wyoming and Colorado engines being demobalized after containment. There are zones that are simply are impenetrable by cellular rays and even satellite has issues. The extremely dry conditions in the area, though, should have raised the concern level. 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. We left Monday the 28th around 10:30 A.M. we could smell smoke but our home was fine and so was all of the rest of them in Chalet Village North. But from what I have read the failure in this situation was in following procedure, so what can be added to have averted this fire and its terrible deadly consequences? Emergency management should have been all over this from the very beginning. We would best not be blind until that time is upon us, as then it will be too late. A mandatory evacuation should have been issued, at the latest, Monday morning, with reverse 911 calls, as well as loudspeaker equipped vehicles. However, to expect her to honor the NPS is inappropriate considering reality and her circumstances. The IMT reported that the fire had not increased in size over the previous 24 hours and was still listed at 17,006 acres. This is a text book example of waiting for rain and not planning for WHAT IF! Hemlocks standout on aerial photos because the limbs grow in a spiral pattern around the tree. Of course, the city of There could be falling trees. ATF, other agencies search for cause of blaze that claimed life of Buffalo firefighter. You are aware that Bill Gabbert the Editor of Wildfire Today spent a large part of his fire carrier with the Park Service where I believe he was served on a nationwide Type I IMT. Not sure why it matters, but you offered such a specific time, thought I would offer info to possibly make it more accurate. wasnt blocked off since Mynatt Park was told to evacuate at 5:17. Hindsight is 20/20 and of course much coulda woulda shoulda is understandable. I only lost my house, but someone has to speak the truth about what did/didnt happen that day/night. First rule of any structure fire or wildfire. Since November 29 it has rained about every 2 to 3 daysin the Gatlinburg area. (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. There is a time and a season for prescribed/monitored fire and that time is NOT during an historic drought and fire season in the SE US with numerous ongoing large fires and a very well predicted wind and storm event. Then and only then will He let you effectively manage His creation that He has allowed you to be a part of for a short time. There will be legal repercussions because of incompetence. It is a truism that many people want all the benefits of government, but dont want to pay for them. I learned so much from the Incident Management Team websites for the various big fires in the mountains (Cohuttas, Joyce Kilmer, Standing Indian, Boteler, Tellico, Party Rock, Pinnacle Mountain). Behind the Chimneys is Sugarland Mountain. The whole thing is unconscionable to me. Excellent points, Jody. Until theyre able to return, Neddo hates to see the Gatlinburg Parkway location gone, but he hopes the next place will be even better. Flies north of fire (s) in TN. Suppression actions, especially backfires, causing way more damage to natural resources than the wildfire is doing., First rule of any structure fire or wildfire. If an aircraft will be en route to a lit helibase or airport, they can drop 30 minutes after sunset then fly to the lit facility. 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. Their lack of extended skill training is apparent. It seems to me that the extreme wind was as unprecedented as the drought and the low stream levels. These breaks downs undoubtedly show shortcomings by officials. Remember GSMNP is not Yosemite or Yellowstone with extreme fire behavior and a history of problems. Honor. Take a look at the Chimney Tops Fire of Nov 14th, 2016 and you really might begin to question what really went wrong here. Fires in the Great. Years ago, the NPS wasnt maintaining the churches in Cades Cove of the Smokies. I understand the excellent point made in the article that history in the Smokies area would expect less of a problem than out West. Because we were heading home to Ohio early Tuesday morning, we packed our suitcases and put them in the car. > Jeannine In my 40 years in the fire service (Calif and Alaska), I have seen an unfortunate number of cases where agencies in generaland the NPS in particulardesignate fires as monitored event(s) (insert favorite agency terminology here) that hours, or days, later explode into huge incidents. Me, like thousands of Buckeyes make the five-hour trek to Tennessee for family [] Many locals are saying the lack of evac was income driven. At that time their were no burn permits or building permit requirements either. On Monday November 28 it recorded wind gusts in that part of the state at46 to 60 mph, and a 76 mph gust on Wednesday. Though Im missing the boat a little here, my questioning is still legitimate being that any managed ignited fire can still get out of control adding to an existing wildfire or creating one. We waited as the days passed until we could go and see if ours had burned. 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. For the most current information about the Chimney Tops 2 Fire at Gatlinburg, see our articles tagged Chimney 2 Fire. I would like to know if the same two kids are also responsible for the first Chimney fire? If it was felt that people on this fire were at risk then dont staff the fire. Experience by itself often lends to complacency and been there done that thinking. As a mountain boy who loves the harshest terrain even I couldnt imagine trying to run a fire line in this area. This appears to be the case once again. At the big forest fires in NC and GA, where the federal incident management teams were located, the Incident teams ordered pre-evacuation prior to the arrival of a cold front when strong, gusty winds were forecast. That didnt happen here. Most excellently put, Jeannine (you are an exceptional writer). TEMA had the power and authority, yet did nothing until Hell was at their door. One person was found dead in the rubble of a fire that broke out in downtown Gatlinburg early Sunday morning. Also important is accountability, so is teaching, learning and experience, so is action, so is on and on. View all posts by Bill Gabbert. 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 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. I told him we would come pick him up in his car. Take care and hang in there. There will be no access to Wiley Oakley or Westgate from the Spur. I have an Gatlinburg address but the county services my street. My main purpose in commenting was to differentiate between a monitored wildfire and prescribed fire. Circular holes in the ground spread around the forest floor for no apparent reason, no evidence in sight, no history of mining activity, most of the oldest living trees around the same height/age. Stantons car was full of gas and only has liability insurance. January 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm Once again, can fire discreetly smolder in the duff amid rock crevices? Breathing between car and house was hard. In addition, the valley above Gatlinburg, drained by LeConte Creek, has had enormous numbers of dead hemlock standing and fallen. How about that for arm chair quarter backing. I would suggest that you read over Bills articles on this site regarding NPS releases information about the Chimney Tops Fire 2 and Analysis of wind, vegetation, and air tankers before the fire burned into Gatlinburg. Lots of fires getting controlled, crews pulling off and the new fuel falling and all back ablaze. The DA in Sevier County has put a gag rule in effect since the get go to protect the teeneagers involved. A similar fire occurred on English Mountain. 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? We have had dry conditions in years past and there has probably been fires in the past and nothing like this ever happened. Not sure on how the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid infects our truly awesome and beautiful Hemlocks, but I do know that the Balsam Wooly Adelgid, the non-native insect that has helped to lay waste to the equally magnificent Fraser Fir forests such as found on the highest peaks Clingmans Dome, Mt. 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 . People need their jobs, and we all act based on the limited information, training and experience that we have and hopefully rely on others who have diverse backgrounds to supplement where we may lack. The excellent Park folks seemed to just monitor it, and it resolved itself. As long as there are watchdogs for the truth such yourself, it will be hard to bury. The fire had spread to Mynatt Park in Gatlinburg, and people were being evacuated from neighborhood there. I am just saying that it is not necessary to lynch someone in order to hold them accountable. Guessing the fire spotted from the Chimneys, to Bullhead, then on to Twin Creeks area. In late 2016, wildfires . In this case, there were no firefighters in a position to take direct action. But very little if any fire suppression activity occurred until Monday, November 28. I wonder when NPS actually put out a request for Incident Management Team support. Our Gatlinburg Inn was built on family and community. I had these thoughts: if fire spreads from Chimney Tops and starts coming towards Gatlinburg, people are going to be getting gas and getting out. Numerous photos show a dramatic increase in smoke in the downtown area between 5 and 5:30 pm. No evacuation orders issued- If I had gone to work that day my two sons would be dead. When we got to the bottom of the mountain, we ran into the Sevier County Electric crew where the road was blocked. I know for a fact that all humans are not as tuned into Nature as others. Money and CNN. It was so blatant and irresponsible of the media station to broadcast in this manner especially under the current circumstances. Alice Hagler was reported missing by her family and later confirmed dead. About 20 years ago, I hiked to Albright Grove, an old-growth hemlock forest near Greenbrier. I would rather have someone on the job who has screwed up, erred and learned from the experience as I know that the chances of a repeat performance are lessened and for most learners they will progress forward with even better decision making skills. Anyone can arm chair quarterback incident manager decisions after the smoke clears. From my back ground in fire, safety and as a fire investigator I see the development of a chain of multiple, unusual and totally unexpected events leading up to final blowup. I am positive that for anyone who gives of themselves to protect and serve will forever be haunted by that far more than anyone of us can expect to hold them accountable by lynching. The Championship side, who are 19th in the table, said there have been no injuries. All three incidents have a common denominator. This is how we all get better at what we do and are. As citizens we should be aware of all threats we face and expect our leadership to plan ahead as best they can. At this time, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials were contacted, according to the report. My questions are: what were the wind speeds when NPS crews ignited these backfires to protect NPS structures; and if they ignited fire on the 28th when the winds were getting stronger and stronger, would the potential exist for backfire embers to get out of control? The contractor who had been working outside on the house left as it got dark early because of the smoke. 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. A high-elevation area that possessed the largest unbroken Spruce-Fir forest in the S. Appalachians. I hope they end up being involved in the biggest lawsuit anyone has ever seen! But the pickup trucks I encountered were full of wildfire firefighters, inside the City of Gatlinburg. We strive to use real facts, not alternative facts, on Wildfire Today. It seems that not even people in western areas have learned that lesson very well, and now it is time for those with homes and property in the east to realize they are at risk too. Not just putting out the fires, but restoring the forest and trails afterward.
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who caused the gatlinburg fires?
