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. However, I still wonder why there has been no word from the governor about the post-fire review team he promised.
Tennessee wildfire near Gatlinburg prompts evacuations of 11,000 homes The fire did not get up the valley to the Alum Cave Parking Lot, and LeConte Lodge is fine. The official cause is down power lines due to high winds and fallen trees, according to a National Park Service news release. There were cliffs in the area but firefighting Hotshot Crews can figure out how to work on steep slopes, sometimes backing off a bit, constructing a fire line and intentionally burning the fuel in between, preventing further expansion of the fire. I am sure the Alum Cave trail up Mt. I viewed aerial photos of that area over the past 10 years (on USGS website). At 3:00PM I convinced my husband to call the Gatlinburg Fire Dept.
Death toll rises to 13 in Tennessee wildfires as grim search for This is the way to honor each other and to learn. But outright blame? No pre-evacuation notice was sent so citizens could be ready to depart. As my husband was carrying things to the car at 5:00PM, a white SUV came by. If the Park Service had done there job in the first place and City and County leaders would have stepped in and done something this could and would have been prevented. Stumps burned into the ground and look like volcano caldera. We have a mountaintop cabin about 50 miles south of this area. Officials keep repeating that nothing like this has ever happened here before so they cant be responsible. This is a complicated incident where many lessons can be learned. 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. On Monday, 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 . The NPS, IMO, did not take an aggressive stance on this fire, and that is usually the case with them. Cafe 420 and Gifts of Gatlinburg were also destroyed. The coolness and the moisture were gone. Hasnt anyone noticed that friends groups are paying for major park infrastructure and various other projects that our Congress has failed to provide for?
The GSMNP PR person announced at 2:02 pm that fires were expected to grow over the next 8 hours with wind gust of 85 mph. One person was found dead Sunday. 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. Over 130 sustained injuries, and 1,684 structures have been damaged or destroyed. I told him there wasnt when I got there at 5 oclock but I could not even see driveways on the way up. By the time the troops were called in, it was too late. It appears that only TEMA has the authority to give a notice over multiple counties, but they didnt take the lead until Monday night, after the fact. Thank you for the timeline and the opportunity for comments. Even though they are showing people receiving checks the day they apply, this was not the case for him. The GSMNP officials were able dodge the negligence and management shortcomings of the 2000 fatal black bear attack in Elkmont as well as discrediting and slandering a former District Law Enforcement Ranger who was involved in the incident. This should be placed firmly on the shoulders of the Park Service, Cassius Cash, Superintendent and the City and County. Was the fire that inaccessible on foot? 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. Those with information are urged to contact the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017 or the GFD at 865-436-5112. My husband stopped the car and the two men inside identified themselves as city water department employees. Breathing between car and house was hard. Suddenly a fire truck from Harriman came careening around the corner and headed up Turkey Nest Road. What is these adults had taken immediate action to correct and intervene in this unsafe behavior by children. The IMT reported that the fire had not increased in size over the previous 24 hours and was still listed at 17,006 acres. Prescribed burning is a critical ecosystem management tool across the nation, especially in the Southeast (https://goodfires.org/how) and when the term is used interchangeably with monitored wildfires it can lead to confusion. She said smoke had been super heavy. The Tip Line is 888-653-0009. Are city and county officials learning to use the expensive Motorola radio system that would have allowed various agencies to communicate when cell service went down? As it was, there had been brush fires burning in N Georgia and Western NC since October. I would also hope that we would figure out that such major climate disruptions as the recent drought in the Southeast are getting more common and that human action has helped cause, and can help cure, such disruptions. We told them the fire was coming. When you have an active, non controlled fire, an area in exceptional drought, late fall vegetative conditions, and southerly winds of 40 to 60 MPH forecasted, you do not need to be a nuclear physicist to realize the potential (probability) that a catastrophic fire event is right at your doorstep. The fire resulted in the deaths of 14 people and more than $500 million in damage, with firefighting costs of more than $7 million. 3:36 p.m. Gatlinburg Fire Department is going door-to-door asking residents to voluntarily evacuate to a Red Cross evacuation shelter set up at the Gatlinburg Community Center located at 156 . The winds that Monday afternoon had knocked power lines down and early reporting made mention of separate ignition points in the residential hillsides.
Gatlinburg Fire 2016: How It Happened & the Aftermath - PigeonForge.com After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire. Earlier on Tuesday, media reported that a man was arrested for setting three fires that spread into a 300-acre fire in. That said, we are now in the rebuild mode. Well said, the terrain here is different than a lot of places, even out west. Who allowed this to happen? The only way they will learn from the fire is if they have to face a jury of their peers to account for their ineptness even know they were in charge of protecting us and our homes and they did neither. If this is the same Bob Stanton commenting here, then the bias is way too obvious. Hire an independent fire behavior consultant to assist in PLANNING and timely response if conditions appear to be coming into (fire) alignment. Firefighting aircraft were not used until helicopters dropped water on the fire Sunday afternoon, November 27 four days after it started. It is very steep terrain, I would estimate about a 65 degree incline, but it is not easy to fall to your death there. I wish the Feds had kept the case instead of handing it off to the local DA. They were asleep at the wheel. China Bazaar, Puckers Sports Bar, Cafe 420,. The timeline of when NPS requested additional help was unfortunately too late for help to arrive before the firestorm hit. I can only say that I had no peace at all whatsoever after the first word I heard of the terrible fire there .. It is not a black and white world, not a this or that, it is all encompassing. The fire, which was reported at 6:39 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of Parkway,. Gatlinburg is in Sevier County. On the evening of the fire, I was monitoring tornadic storms across northern Mississippi because my family were driving to Behind the Chimneys is Sugarland Mountain. Its incredulous that evacuation didnt go out then. @wvlt pic.twitter.com/P7roVBCq8B. Wednesday, November 23, the day the fire started. On November 27 the fire was a third of a mileas the crow flies from US Highway 441. I felt like people had been robbed of the vital information they needed to make the decisions they needed to be safe. What makes one golden and one not? Easy for many of you to sit back and Monday morning quarterback when you dont have skin in the game as I did. We were there from May until early November. Kelly you are right, NO Help from City or County in the clean up..SOS home owners responsible for all.. Thank-you Bill for your through and in depth analysis of this wildfires chain-of events. Lied too by Gatlinburg or Sevier County officials?
What Caused The Gatlinburg Fire - BikeHike Some of the drainages where the managers hoped to stop the fire were a half mile away. A high-elevation area that possessed the largest unbroken Spruce-Fir forest in the S. Appalachians. 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. When the simple laws of fire physics and chemistry correctly combine, fuel, heat, oxygen, and in the wildland fire arena available fuels, topography and ideal fire weather conditions mix in perfect alignment plus given adequate TIME, a-bine unattended campfire, an arsonists match, or a slowly backing down-slope surface fire in leaf litter during a record setting drought will ultimately result in a disastrous conflagration. Even the courts of law no longer put as heavy weight on personal testimony, as so much has been proven to so easily be manipulated and affected by a host of factors. Just like the Mayor of Amity in Jaws, they didnt want the tourists to see this much reality. 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) The high winds were forecasted on the 25th, 2016. That said I have been an avid backpack or in hiker who has done probably every trail in the Smokies many times over. Blame, no. I told Stanton I wanted him to drive our truck up to top of mountain behind house to get it away from house and out from under so many trees. . 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. The use of smokejumpers could be part of the plan. According to FOX 5's Matthew Cappucci the smoke plume got to about 3,600 feet and . Take care and hang in there. 119K views 4 months ago GATLINBURG Many people get worried when they hear the words Gatlinburg and Fire in the same sentence. The cause of the fire has still not been determined. You cannot sit and watch a fire in the mountains this close to a town and not call in lots of HELP!!! 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. This is one of the wettest areas in the entire US, and when you do not not receive a drop of rain for months on end, you know something bad is going to happen. It is very hard and slow to navigate through laurel stands and the thick Tennesee Barbed Wire Briar patches. The remains of 745 Main Street in Buffalo on Thursday, March 2, 2023., where a fire broke out on Wednesday . For almost 24 hours a day for 10 days or more, I read everything I could about Gatlinburg, and even found Wildfire Today during that One of the owners of the impacted businesses called a contractor to demolish a damaged portion of the building.
Rockslide on the Spur Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge - wate.com Kind of like closing the barn door after the cow gets out, dont you think? I convinced my husband to drive back toward our house to see if we could see the fire. The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. It was probably 4:45 by this time. Not because I am a teller of fortune. When boys and I got back home around 3:45, the winds were beginning to pick up and branches were beginning to fall. The fire continued to spread throughout the entire structure. NPS can suppress the first fire; but not the second fire? Accusations were abundant. Jeannine, what an awesome, in-depth and thoughtful response. We drove down to Calhouns complex, through their parking area and back out onto the parkway and headed east.
California couple whose gender-reveal party sparked a wildfire charged There are other potential hazards that make unplanned evacuations a danger in that area. Resources = $$$=taxes. 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. Below is the stateof access to the fire area, as reported by the IMT: The National Park is closed from the Gatlinburg Entrance to Smokemont near Oconaluftee (US 441, Newfound Gap) and Little River Road from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Townsend. Published: Dec. 24, 2022 at 10:17 AM PST 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 successes, and the losses, the poor decisions, the mistakes, the error and the failures. May all the people find peace and forgiveness in the midst of this storm.
Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages I told her my concerns of fire, traffic, and falling trees blocking flow of traffic were there an emergency. People lost their lives and homes because no warnings!!! Yet if no one raises cain about it, things will be rebuilt with no regard for such safety factors. It was also unbelievably dry. Most of us feel there was negligence but sorting it all out is not something I know how to do. Bob, I know where youre coming from. There was a tree down on road out but we were able to drive around it. The three places the fire was stated to have been seem to line up pretty straight on the map. It is a primary source and illuminates some of the discussion topics that have been on Wildfire Today. What really was going on here? The truck was filled with firefighters. Hit it with all you have the Moment it breaks out.. We watched local news and weather forecasts. I loved the area, the town, homes, everything. It means they eliminated natural causes, such as lightning and volcano eruptions. On-the-ground fire suppression activity took place Monday when firefighters took defensive action to protect structures at a nearby GRSM picnic area. We drove west down the parkway. It was considered a total loss after yesterdays fire. Why the complacency? GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - One person died and another was injured in a large fire in downtown Gatlinburg Sunday. A lot of chainsawing has been going on. I wish this would turn into the biggest Court case in history. China Bazaar, Pucker's Sports Grill, Gifts of Gatlinburg, and Caf 420 were all deemed a complete loss. milepost 316.
Chimney 2 Fire Archives - Wildfire Today Civilians are dead, millions of dollars of personal property destroyed, millions of dollars were spent on containing the wildfirethe rains/snow finally suppressed it. This is how civilians, firefighters, personal property and extensive environmental damage results. Visibility was so low that other car lights could barely be seen from oncoming cars. Despite that, officials now say that the Gatlinburg fire began in the park and was. Floods, tornadoes, severe storms, wildfires, mudslides, hurricanes, what else?, all present risks to humans and their property which require different degrees of political management and oversight in our various muncipalities to keep us safe or to help us recover if we suffer consequences when we arent kept safe. On Friday, Gatlinburg city officials released a report detailing the downtown fire on Oct. 9. I have my own opinion on what I would do if I ruled the world but I can guarantee you two people that would be looking for work very soon . We do have insurance however based on the prices for clean up there it wont go far enough to build back. I said Fed. The miracle is that more people did not Id just like to ask folks to think about If prior experience of fires in the region may have betrayed fire managers this time. I appreciate how articulately you described your thoughts. I hope the recordings werent pulled under threat of someones attorney or the DA. Only 0.05 inch fell at the Indian Grave Remote Automatic Weather Station 18 miles west of the fire. It must have been Sunday, because a Type 1 team came in on Tuesday. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. 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. the downtown fire on Oct. 9 that killed one person and injured another. Damage was estimated at. It upset a lot of locals, but many lauded it. Due to the damage this fire has caused Im sure there will be follow-up effects (and recriminations) for years. January 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm
1 Dead in Gatlinburg Fire That Affected Travel to Smokies The two juveniles who set a fire are not alone in this. It would make suppression efforts difficult, but a fire break could have been constructed around the original slow-moving fire in the early days. Person killed in downtown Gatlinburg fire identified. I have seen local hiking pictures that appear to show two separate smoke columns on Saturday 11/26.
Gatlinburg fire: Body found in blaze rubble, cause of fire under Aircraft dropping water or fire retardant on a fire cannot put it out. The fire was approximately 8 acres in size, according to GRSM. The 2 juvenile defendants have been charged with the fire of Nov 23rd, 2016; but there has been NO apparent media release by officials and investigators as to whether these defendants started the fire of Nov 14th, 2016? Mr. Cash cant order an evac, but he could have made a recommendation. Nonetheless, your observations on the 21st indicate that no signs of the 14th fire were present; and if the NPS did fully suppress the first fire, their timeline was undoubtedly non-aggressive to do so. I hope the governors investigation team finds all of the miscues AND gets proper training for all the different agencies involved. I told him I would call fire department in Gatlinburg across from Food City. Im totally with you accountability. 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. My husband told me our children would not be happy with us if we did that, so we decided to leave without returning to the house. Suggestion, contact Dolly Parton or representatives of her holdings and give her (them) the emergency phone line to Global Supertankers. We checked the Spot Weather Forecasts that were requested by the NPS and issued by the NWS for the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. Thanksgiving weekend is one of the 4 busiest weekends for Gatlinburg and the National Park. In all the Disasters I have worked in Texas, FEMA reimburse City or County for debris pickup. Great job on this website, it is very informative and I recommend it to everyone in the business. Or in steep cliff terrain it just isnt going to happen, no one on the fire. 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. To echo your statements, the information is out there, a model exists on how to properly do it now its getting the proper training for all of the professionals involved and the public taking the role of accountability watchdogs. Whatever happened to good old common sense decisions considering the drought, excessive fuels, and weather! When I built a home here just a few years ago and wanted to have a sprinkler system installed, I was told we dont have big wildfires here. The blame is as simple as the nose on your face we have family that is firemen and friends that are and they too are trained in fighting fires and if they had contained it all of this wouldnt have happened. I doubt it as the experience there is of fast moving potentially devastating fires.
Zoom Abruptly Fires President Greg Tomb 'Without Cause' A true lackadaisical response. 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. It was about this time that we noticed the wind beginning to get stronger. We couldnt go up Motor Nature Trail so we went back to Cherokee Orchard Road. That is when it would have been prudent to announce a pre-evacuation notice for the Gatlinburg area to be ready to evacuate if an evacuation order is announced. This story Im telling is all factual you see I have a problem with anyone exaggerating events as well as lying so I tell the truth regardless of how unpopular it may be. It would be interesting to dig a little further on this. 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. Yes, there had been many fires in the southeast during the 6 to 8 weeks before the fire started in Great Smoky Mountains NP, but it is my understanding that at that time they had diminished and there may have been significant firefighting resources available. Paddlers prepare to hit the water for the return of the Kualoa Hakipuu Canoe Festival, Former Mililani High athletic director indicted, Hawaii police departments offer big incentives as competition for new recruits heats up, Stroke survivor's specially-modified bike returned, Midday Newscast: City proposes $300 tax credit for those with homeowner's exemption, 'The Other Side of Paradise' with Lynn Kawano, KHNLPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KGMBPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KFVEPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KSIXPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KOGGPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246.
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. When I came out of dr. office, which is located on Middle Creek close to hospital, the atmosphere was eerie. 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. They must be invited in by the state, so the bureaucracy and border silos are at issue here too. 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. We got a text message. there is nothing that can address the failure of leadership at every level that contributed to that loss of life. I can name 14 people who deserved much better! My main purpose in commenting was to differentiate between a monitored wildfire and prescribed fire. Holding the responsible people accountable is the only course of action that honors what was lost. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Gatlinburg Fire Department and Gatlinburg Police Department officials are investigating. Which is why human history keeps repeating itself over and over. We need to hold, that experience though often shared, does not fit into every mold, because in the real world though some laws are universal, there is always changing variable and situations are never really exactly the same. 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.
Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages
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