Multiple businesses were destroyed in the flames, totaling an estimated $7 million in damage. In all the Disasters I have worked in Texas, FEMA reimburse City or County for debris pickup. Jeannines comments were spot on. In addition, officials confirmed that a firefighter was transported to the hospital with minor injuries from the fire but has since been released. But if park management had been spending budget on fire management capabilities equal to those sites there would likely be criticism of that. Who ever was in charge should loose their job!!! The wildfires caused millions of dollars in damage. So property owners are left to deal with everything and if we had the power we would have done something like worrying the crap out of all of them until action was taken. Why are there not more prescribed and controlled burns being conducted? But I believe there is a fourth element of fire behavior prediction and that is the element of situational awareness. That said I have been an avid backpack or in hiker who has done probably every trail in the Smokies many times over. Early in the afternoon we began to see large crewcab pickup trucks driving past our home. When we got to the bottom of the mountain, we ran into the Sevier County Electric crew where the road was blocked. 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. notice should have been at 5-6 given the wind. This leads to continuation of the same issues over and over because the root of the problems are not being dealt with, and therefore it is just a matter of time before another failure occurs and someone else becomes the blamed one, totally ignoring the real issues. GFD officials examined the scene and found a body, later identified as Joe Martin Bates, in Suite 4. A voluntary evacuation should have been issued at least 36 hours before the fire exploded. Millions of dollars will be spent recovering and mitigating the after effects of this human caused and exasperated wildfire. Vincent Gabrielle, Knoxville News Sentinel. We do have insurance however based on the prices for clean up there it wont go far enough to build back. We may never really know the truth about this situation just as with so many other current and prominent situations. They were in their driveway with a water hose. Perhaps he needs a bit of prompting to remind him that the public will not forget what happened. Sweeney, to be honest weve never experienced circumstances quite like this. I thanked her, hung up and told Stanton to go load Ladys kennel. Unfortunately this isnt always the case. Hit it with all you have the Moment it breaks out.. Firefighting resources assigned to the fire include 25 hand crews, 61 engines, 6 helicopters, and 2 dozers, for a total 780 personnel. We couldnt go up Motor Nature Trail so we went back to Cherokee Orchard Road. I agree with the earlier post that if this fire had been in Southern California or other areas subject to devastating fire if it would have been managed differently. Corker and Alexander know what would happen if they tried to interfere with a Federal prosecution! 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? We listened to local TV news at home which reported voluntary evacuations for Mynatt Park after fire was reported in the Twin Creeks area. Finally, the Superintendent has the power to call up all the resources which were available. 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. The NPS, IMO, did not take an aggressive stance on this fire, and that is usually the case with them. Also. 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 . As a contractor I worked with a Dunes engine in Michigan MI years ago. Chalet Village Gatlinburg, Tommy there is a class action lawsuit being formulated by a Knoxville attorney. I can picture all My husband stopped the car and the two men inside identified themselves as city water department employees. Of course, the city of The adelgid apparently needs the rougher bark of older trees to climb up the trunk to the greenery on which they feed. Not to mention all the fallen limbs on the ground beneath them. It was probably 4:45 by this time. China Bazaar, Puckers Sports Grill, Gifts of Gatlinburg, and Caf 420 were all deemed a complete loss. They strive to their utmost and have a true passion working in GSMNP. Thanks again for your touching reply. That said, it is always easier for those outside of the forest to see the big picture then those who are standing inside the trees down on the forest floor. Our house sat below the road about 30 feet. 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.. 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. Bats were roosting in the church rafters and dropping feces onto the pews. Now he has the benefit of another 60 to 90 days of another investigation before anything officially or otherwise will be said. That didnt happen here. U.S. Park Service (again) and Thanksgiving. Excellent information and supporting documentation. NPS officials are looking to avoid tort liability claims, plan & simple. 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 have to assume that the city of Gatlinburg felt that since my road was county property that I was on my own. Of course they wont. There are other potential hazards that make unplanned evacuations a danger in that area. 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. The power of nature is awesome and often far beyond our ability to predict and react to in a timely manner. Increasing cloudiness and strong southerly winds on Monday ahead of the next storm system. And I dont write about that many of them. That said, it is always easier for those outside of the forest to see the big picture then those who are standing inside the trees down on the forest floor. The actual clifts are small and easily avoided. Just the mechanics of this devastating wildfire without any editorial comments. Humble yourselves to the Lord and seek HIS divine help. What really was going on here? Alice Hagler was reported missing by her family and later confirmed dead. Three people were killed and 14 others sent to area hospitals, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said Tuesday. Just like the Mayor of Amity in Jaws. 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. Damage was estimated at. I said at the time thatvwas crazy, evac. Mike I appreciate what you said about a time and season for prescribed/monitored fire, and we need prescribed fire in the toolbox. But it is very important to point out that the fire that burned into Gatlinburg was never a prescribed fire. Emergency management should have been all over this from the very beginning. The use of smokejumpers could be part of the plan. There will be legal repercussions because of incompetence. If they had taken action the day it started instead of now using the excuse of the rough terrain, yeah it is but so is most mountain areas. Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces, after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. 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. LeConte is going to be fine. In late 2016, wildfires . Being that were neighbors with these people, its people that we love. GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) Wildfires have ravaged Sevier County six years after deadly fires destroyed parts of Gatlinburg. Jeannine, its obvious that you write from the heart, and you write so well it is indeed inspirational. Not even 5 years ago over 60 homes burned in one night in Wears Valley when fire spread from house to house, in the fall, during a high wind. 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. Hire an independent fire behavior consultant to assist in PLANNING and timely response if conditions appear to be coming into (fire) alignment. I can name 14 people who deserved much better! I convinced my husband to drive back toward our house to see if we could see the fire. I think were all just going to come back and rebuild stronger than ever, he said. They probably feel they are fortunate and safe because they will not speak out on the topic until the criminal charges are completed against the two youth that perpetrated this fire but they would be foolish to do so as time just continues to churn the anger. I would describe this as flooding in Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg Tennessee, but certainly heavy rain rising the water levels throughout. Suppression actions, especially backfires, causing way more damage to natural resources than the wildfire is doing., First rule of any structure fire or wildfire. This data from Indian Grave was not too far offthe forecast issued the day before. Unfortunately its the home owners that are taking the hit and I think it should be them. Before we got in the car, we each took photos of the approaching fire with our cell phones. The big, dead hemlocks are light grey with a circular limb pattern as viewed from the air. Whose else is there? Only we, the people, the voters, can force change by raising our collective voices by repeatedly demanding the governor and Congress take action now! Many fire managers in that situation would immediately attack emerging fires very aggressively with overwhelming force, that is, many firefighters on the ground assisted by numerous aircraft dropping water or fire retardant. Gatlinburg Fire 2016: The Start. Here is one interview I gave to a Cincinnati station 2-3 days after the fire. Fires in the Great. Id just like to ask folks to think about If prior experience of fires in the region may have betrayed fire managers this time. from Gburg. He yelled at Bates to get out, and Bates did leave before coming back without the worker knowing. Here is a question & answer from Bill interviewing Tom Nichols on Wildfire Today: One of the more common errors in judgment you have seen on fires? 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. 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 . There was a yellow glow in the skies which has always been indicative of severe weather where we came from. Talk about finger pointing! Thank you, Bill. We saw some trucks when we drove out late morning. Another example from my own experience which has been rocked by bias and blatant failure to receive appropriate support and assistance when asked for; causing issues to occur that were later simply blown way out of proportion with conspired lies in order to protect and cover up the real underlying issues and people. I loved the area, the town, homes, everything. Yes government at all levels needs to be held accountable; otherwise we regress back into the Dark Ages. Given the wind forecast, pre-evac notice should have gone out on Sunday, Monday morning at latest. 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 . When the rain started again at 8 a.m. the relative humidity rose into the 90s. I am not holding my breath. Take my word for it, Ive seen back scratching going on down there for over 40 years. At any rate, I have not heard any knowledgeable person say acquiring resources during those first five days was a major difficulty. Often times in seeking to take out a person, the real root causes go unaddressed, and sometimes that includes some people taking the fall for decisions of others that were major contributing factors. Unfortunately human lives were lost and hundreds of folks have been displaced. I understand the excellent point made in the article that history in the Smokies area would expect less of a problem than out West. When maintenance employees with GRSM drove past the Chimney Tops 2 Fire early Mondaymorning they saw that the intensity and rate of spread of the fire had increased dramatically. The wildfire began burning in a remote location of the park (Chimney Tops) in steep terrain with vertical cliffs and narrow rocky ridges, making access to the wildfire area . Try to stay neutral I understand; but the NPS has a track record of avoiding accountability. Even Congressman from east TN and western NC need to here it. We discussed what we would/could do if we had to evacuate. If youve ever been in an incident management role you understand often having made a good decision given the best information available at the time you dont get the outcome you want. In addition thorough explanations could have been given for the reasons for calling for the Voluntary Evacuation and could have been published. 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. Thats perfect Johnny. 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. National Park Service says never push a slower friend down when escaping a bear, Knoxville utilities crews work to restore power after intense storms, Missing elderly Knoxville woman last seen at hospital, police say, Vols drop to 5-seed in SEC Tournament after falling at Auburn, 79-70. fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. All of the big trees were gone (although younger trees had been treated and saved). Stanton wanted to go but I was afraid to for several reasons. One other consideration relevant to some of the previous comments about the aggressiveness or lack thereof in dealing with the fire in the first few days is the context of other ongoing wildfires. There is simply too much BS. Having said that, I used to work on an incident management team whose purpose was to manage what we called years ago, let burn fires. Take care and hang in there. Investigators have determined that the fire was human-caused and are asking for information from anyone who has information about people or vehicles that were seen in the area that day. They had no sirens or Claxons blaring, no shouting to evacuate thru their grill mounted speakers. On November 27 the fire was a third of a mileas the crow flies from US Highway 441. But those heroes should have never been in that situation in the first place. Humans will never be able to control or suppress all unwanted fires-structure, chemical or wildland. While my husband tried to rake the leaves away more than once, they blew right back in. These are the facts and simple truths that should not be ignored. 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. The Chimneys functionally act as the head of a canyon leading directly to downtown Gatlinburg. Officials keep repeating that nothing like this has ever happened here before so they cant be responsible. 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. High winds were to start soon and rain was 5 hours away as indicated by radar. I picked them up and came back home with plans of bringing truck back over mountain and filling it up because it was near empty. I was nervous about it. Please keep in mind our commenting ground rules before you post a comment. If the NPS backfires were not ignited on the 28th; then they had to be ignited on the 27th a day before the fire broke out. We are emotional beings, we feel and we have the capability to think. You are reading this like most folks with common sense and a little analytical process, being all the data as you stated isnt on the table. Honor. Thanks for the correction Bill. (The fire was in eastern Tennessee near the North Carolina border.). An in depth investigation should be launched and the (ir)responsible parties identified. He promised a committee to study what happened and there has been no word since. I was near Gatlinburg until Saturday prior to the fire, visiting my family. Good points about differentiating between prescribed fire and the wildfire. 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. I only lost my house, but someone has to speak the truth about what did/didnt happen that day/night. Copyright 2022 WVLT. 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.
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