I have a photo I took from the Walmart parking lot looking south that shows how smoky it was in Pigeon Forge. Those strong southerly winds had been forecast a good two days before the fire broke through into the developed areas. 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. We have border issues, at the local levels, states rights and federal rights that are still at issue, leadership silos, and rising political issues. Of course they wont. 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 high winds were forecasted on the 25th, 2016. Behind the Chimneys is Sugarland Mountain. Thats perfect Johnny. But very little if any fire suppression activity occurred until Monday, November 28. And not only they had time to evacuate but I called 911 Monday night on Nov. 28 2016 and ask if there was any evacuation orders for Gatlinburg and was told By The 911 operator no not at this time Later found out the whole place was on fire at the same time I called 911 ( WHY ) was I lied to ? 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 .. The GRSM person that requested the Spot wrote: Concerned about ridgetop winds with the coming front. I guess they must think when you have to go up there to handle this mess they caused that you dont need lodging, food or gas to get there. So my husband called the Gatlinburg policy department with the same questions and got the same answers. They found plenty of resources when they realize they were going to be burning all the money making business is down on Monday. Officials will verify renters and lease holders, as needed. I went back a few years ago and it was completely different. But. Ive not had a chance to hike post-fire areas in the mountains yet to see fires effect on dead hemlocks, but what Henry said about dead stumps burning into the ground looking like a volcano rings true with what Ive witnessed in mountain forest areas that burned decades ago. The governor needs to hear that, as well. Will we fail forward? They had access to the same fire flight info from Sundays flyover that other agencies had. The miracle is that more people did not City prosecutors have charged a longtime Mililani High School leader with multiple counts of theft. And I dont write about that many of them. Nearly five years. 'Human caused' Tennessee wildfires kill seven near Dollywood park That night after we arrived home we started getting text from friends showing fires at the Park Vista Hotel, then one from our neighbors across the street, he lives in Knoxville called and said he had been there at 5:30 P.M. this was on the 28th and when he left it was smokey but everything was still fine. Your are correct; and we all pray and hope for the community to get back on their feet again. On the radio, a man in the Forestry truck was somewhere around the Roaring Fork area (as I recall) looking for possible spot fires reported near a residence and was talking about the strong winds. Thanks again for this forum. Copyright 2022 WVLT. a wind and weather event like they got, that resulted in fire spread that resulted the the state TEMA command center to have to relocate in the middle of the incident gives a picture of what they were dealing with. This is just one more example of one more related issue that is seemingly un-connected until you delve into the issues deeply. 1,000 feet of rise / 0.2 mile (1,056 feet) is a slope of 94.7%, not 77%. The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. Why did they wait until Monday to do a voluntary a evacuation or were the city father is involved in the decision not to panic the thousands and thousands of people still there for the Thanksgiving holiday. They were told No, we have it under control.. 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. We are emotional beings, we feel and we have the capability to think. As a former FF, their claim that they could have never put it out if they tried from day one is BS. 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. One indicator of drought and its effect on how wildfires burn is the Keetch-Byram Drought Index(KBDI). Hit it with all you have the Moment it breaks out. IMT issued pre-evacuation notices in GA and NC each time they saw cold-front winds approaching that could would threaten communities. In turn, the IMT teams greatly appreciated the community support given by the effected areas, such as throwing a free Thanksgiving dinner for the thousands of fire fighters far away from their families. Instead simply took pictures on their phone, 3. On-the-ground fire suppression activity took place Monday when firefighters took defensive action to protect structures at a nearby GRSM picnic area. My husband stopped the car and the two men inside identified themselves as city water department employees. 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 am not holding my breath. I hope to remedy that starting now! Why is forestry both national and state not working more collaboratively with citizens and local fire departments to improve awareness and preparation? Be sure to bring valid forms of identification showing name and address of residence or business inside Gatlinburg. 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. For the region, I hope fire officials do realize that regional history makes little difference if the right combination of factors exists for rapid and extreme fire growth. Join our group. This should be placed firmly on the shoulders of the Park Service, Cassius Cash, Superintendent and the City and County. When we got to end of Beech Branch Rd., and turned onto Spur, there was no traffic but the winds were getting worse. Another factor in the tragic outcome goes way beyond any mismanagement of the fire in its early period. These breaks downs undoubtedly show shortcomings by officials. Where was all the HELP TO PUT THIS FIRE OUT A WHEN IT STARTED???? The Spur or US 441 runs between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in the Smokies. This is how civilians, firefighters, personal property and extensive environmental damage results. For example politicians far away from the event make decisions regarding funding, resources and operations. I hope the governors investigation team finds all of the miscues AND gets proper training for all the different agencies involved. LeConte is going to be fine. 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. Guessing the fire spotted from the Chimneys, to Bullhead, then on to Twin Creeks area. I can tell you that within the week prior to this fire in the Greenbriar section of the GSMNP, I hiked on trails rustling through leaf litter that came up to my mid shins. That said, we are now in the rebuild mode. They were taught with classroom didactic and hands on training, by sharing of lessons learned by others, and the best learning opportunity available, the best teacher of all; the actual experience itself. Bob and I had discussions about what we would do if we were to be surprised by wildfires up Beech Branch Road with no warning. Suddenly a fire truck from Harriman came careening around the corner and headed up Turkey Nest Road. The extremely dry conditions in the area, though, should have raised the concern level. To successfully allow a fire to burn for a long period of time requires VERY skilled personnel and luck. The chain reaction that if un-inhibited can create the perfect storm, block the perfect solutions or that can lead to the ignition of possibility and opportunity. 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. Thanks for the legwork. As I learned in the first 12 hours what took place there, I realized that there was almost no preparation for the risk of a fire, on any Chalet Village Gatlinburg, Tommy there is a class action lawsuit being formulated by a Knoxville attorney. I told him we would come pick him up in his car. I realize the City of Gatlinburg is open and ready for business and business is booming, thats good for them but it doesnt help those of us that lost their home. This fire season is a perfect example of why we do not need to lynch and discard those who have erred but gained highly valuable experience in the process. I know that because of my experience, my training, my ongoing learning and situational awareness of a host of related and seemingly unrelated knowledge. We strive to use real facts, not alternative facts, on Wildfire Today. 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! Thank you for the timeline and the opportunity for comments. We watched the news the rest of evening. So many unanswered questions? Conspiracy, no. It was a very horrible dream and I had qualms about my trip before I arrived in Branson. According to the great gag order, government officials should not be commenting???? Your reply well done! She replied, Mrs. I will not be looking for Gatlinburg or Sevier county first response personnel as those people will be grounded by a spineless group of county, city and NPS managers Who can only be described as cowardly indecisive. Even if the new construction doesnt suffer from the eventual degradation of the old foundation, years after you have rebuilt and want to sell your cabin, due to prior disclosure malls when you tell a prospective buyer that your foundation went through the 100 year fire which burned your foundation at 1400 to 3000 F, only a fool would buy it. Especially our local emergency workers and the Park Service. I only lost my house, but someone has to speak the truth about what did/didnt happen that day/night. So we can learn by others successes and failures but we must also not hang our hats on them either, because the story is as individual and unique as there are an infinite number of variables. The winds were getting stronger. The Park Superintendent did not want to risk the lives of NPS fire crews with the Chimney Tops Fire 2; and that is to be respected. You can see in the leaf pattern around it how a strong gust pushed up against the side of the house. GRSM posted Fire Information signs in the area explaining their monitoring strategy due to vertical cliffs, narrow rock ridges and steep drainages. I wonder why? But outright blame? Ms.Schroer said she was not aware of any actual on-the-ground fire suppression efforts, other than perhaps some work on a distant indirect fireline, until Monday November 28, after the fire had grown large and crossed US Highway 141, the main road into the park. Things dont change unless people stand up and make them change. It certainly should be addressed, by We, the People. How many homes were lost in the Gatlinburg fire? 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. http://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2016/12/cabin-on-creek-and-chimneys-top-2-fire.html, http://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2016/12/great-chimney-tops-2-fire-science.html. The use of smokejumpers could be part of the plan. Hire an independent fire behavior consultant to assist in PLANNING and timely response if conditions appear to be coming into (fire) alignment. Hasnt anyone noticed that friends groups are paying for major park infrastructure and various other projects that our Congress has failed to provide for? Other than the way the police were able to evacuate 4,000 people from Gatlinburg with little notice on Monday evening, everyone else involved did a very poor job. I am like you in that I will never be able to get a good nights sleep on the mountain again as Im all be consistently looking out the window. Emergency crews were on the scene for 31 hours extinguishing the fire before the emergency demolition was requested. Well said, the terrain here is different than a lot of places, even out west. As long as there are watchdogs for the truth such yourself, it will be hard to bury. They had the same weather forecast information. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages. According to Ms.Schroer, firefighters walked up the Chimney Tops Trail to the top of the hill to size it up. But all sitting back and doing nothing to help. Flies north of fire (s) in TN. Bill, correct me if I am wrong, but aircraft should be on the ground a half hour after sunset? Superintendent Cash says the NPS has no jurisdiction to issue evacuations for the City of Gatlinburg. We do have insurance however based on the prices for clean up there it wont go far enough to build back. Wednesday, November 23, the day the fire started. Copyright 2022 WVLT. 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. He had been experiencing the high winds back West all day and was alarmed at possibilities as well. 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. Emotions do get the best of us. Managers may need to keep resources in reserve for initial attack on new fires rather than a Hit it with all you have the Moment it breaks out. strategy. I stopped him and said, Stanton, weve got to calm down and go slowly getting out of here so that we dont scare Abram and so that we can drive safely. This fire as did others around this time had highly predictable potential for massive and rapid spread. 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. Finally, the Superintendent has the power to call up all the resources which were available. We have also come upon many campfires that tent campers and others thought or extinguished but were back to a full burn with not adequate fire breaking around it. There was a tree down on road out but we were able to drive around it. Everyone knew how dry it was. As we drove in the smoke was no better than it had been when we left cabin, it was worse. Climate change, human, social, political and economic factors are all also a part of this outcome, cause and effect. 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. When I got home our dog was sneezing repeatably so I brought her in. GSMNP Facebook has pulled comments, photos, and replies as well in regard to the 14th fire. I remember a news A day or so later where that fire chief of the Gatlinburg stated that they knew on Sunday that it was predicted the fire would hit Gatlinburg proper by 11 AM on Tuesday morning. Accusations were abundant. Why did they wait until Monday to do a voluntary a evacuation or were the city father is involved in the decision not to panic the thousands and thousands of people still there for the Thanksgiving holiday. Intense, deep burning fires with significant downwind spotting should be expected. To repeat what you have already said, people on the mountain especially Chalet Village north, no longer feel safe . Obviously spent no time in the military so they didnt know how to field dress A cigarette and pack it out. One question I have not seen asked is why any adult would have witnessed children playing with matches and lighting fires especially under the obvious conditions in this situation and 1. not taken immediate action 2. 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. She said I dont think its necessary for you to leave home with children and dog at this point. Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces, after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. Being that were neighbors with these people, its people that we love. Bob headed our way. We must change our minds first and then we must change our actions. However, an event such as the Gatlinburg fires undoubtedly leads to a can of worms that some folks would rather just sweep under the rug. When you see more of them completely charred but living trees seemingly untouched that is a sign of both underground burning and how much water the living trees still possessed. time. If the superintendent of the Park Service couldnt see what the consequence could be then he was not qualified for the job and after reading his BIO he was never qualified and this is what we get. This is a failure at the city, county and state levels, as well as top FEMA, leadership. It must have been Sunday, because a Type 1 team came in on Tuesday. Would be interesting to dig down to find the ash line (which is probably illegal on federal lands). In addition thorough explanations could have been given for the reasons for calling for the Voluntary Evacuation and could have been published. They have tied their hands and resources through environmental forestry management. In my opinion there is more blood on the hands of the NPS, Gatlinburg city and fire officials and Sevier County politicians than those kids. I also wanted to let everyone know that the City and County is an example of nepotism at its finest. At that time their were no burn permits or building permit requirements either. Thanks again for your touching reply. 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.
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