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. There will be legal repercussions because of incompetence. May all the people find peace and forgiveness in the midst of this storm. Kelly you are right, NO Help from City or County in the clean up..SOS home owners responsible for all.. Vincent Gabrielle, Knoxville News Sentinel. Those with information are urged to contact the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017 or the GFD at 865-436-5112. It goes for miles, Ive pushed as hard as I could straight down and only managed 1/10th mile an hour on the gps in a few such places. Conspiracy, no. There is much to delve into in resolving the causative factors of this disaster and the fire and park service are only a part of that equation. He told me he was scared to drive the truck-its a lot more cumbersome in the local terrain than his little Outback. Hopefully all of those affected will be able to begin again. It was the hottest summer we ever felt. Yet today June 5th, Sevier County still has their infamous gag order in effect more than 6 months later in the interests of prosecuting the trial of the murdurous kids. The official cause is down power lines due to high winds and fallen trees, according to a National Park Service news release. Resident of Western Maryland. Nearby businesses feel the same. Jon Binhammer had an excellent point about the hemlocks. Like hell he did. It now seems obvious that no housing development should have only road in and out. Kids should be charged and pay a price but so do several officials in the good old boy still lives on in the town of Gatlinburg. Things dont change unless people stand up and make them change. I think anyone that is from this area could see this could be a very dangerous fire from the first day!! I felt it urgent to get out of the woods. They lost phone coverage but didnt activate the Motorola wide area radio system. Arson charges dropped against teens accused in deadly Gatlinburg - WJLA If I had even been in the bathroom or downstairs I wouldve died . 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 . Period. Question, seek truth and evidence, get to the roots, with the intention to create and apply solutions, not simply hang someone; that is how we grow forward! However, firebe it a wildfire, structure fire, flammable liquid fire or a a bi-nine campfire does not care or worry about budget cuts, staffing issues, political agendas, experienced or inexperienced decision making or other human factors. I told her my concerns of fire, traffic, and falling trees blocking flow of traffic were there an emergency. Jody, you have said well what Ive wanted to say from my impressions made after the fire about this tragic situation. Prayers for Gatlinburg - Fairborn Daily Herald I later learned that Sevier County pays for an emergency notification system called Code Red Alert. Well I can say that if TEMA announced right now and emergency message to my cell phone in the east TN mountains I would never get a thing. Wildfire Today covered engines being shipped from CA. We strive to use real facts, not alternative facts, on Wildfire Today. Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire 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. You bet you were. I left early to get boys and filled Stantons old Subaru Outback up with gas. Its hard to see. If the new location isnt in Gatlinburg, it will definitely be in Sevier County. A fire burns at a high-rise building under construction in the Tsim Sha Tsui district in Hong Kong on March 3, 2023. Many structures were lost- thankfully no lives. I know its good and natural periodically to let forest fires burn, but under the extreme drought conditions in this area, I was uneasy that fires werent being put out. Former Gatlinburg fire chief reflects as new wildfires burn - WTVF 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. This appears to be the case once again. The Bob Stanton that has been commenting on this thread is NOT the former director of the NPS. Visibility was so low that other car lights could barely be seen from oncoming cars. Numerous photos show a dramatic increase in smoke in the downtown area between 5 and 5:30 pm. People responsible during the initial stages of the Chimney Top 2 wildfire need to be held accountable for violating these basic rules of fire physicsperiod. And no doubt books both factual and not on this event. Tunica, MS, from our area near Kansas City, to arrive late evening, that day, in Tunica. I responded that the climate is changing, and so are other related situations, and there will be. 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. Out east our experience is usually ground fire with relatively less risk of widespread destruction. This should not be a time to blame and inflame, but to think and act wisely. Basically telling the press, the public and the injured families to go to hell. ATF, other agencies search for cause of blaze that claimed life of 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. That is when it began moving rapidly toward Gatlinburg. We all contribute to this phenomenon if not intentionally but unintentionally, simply by the design of our brains! 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. Many, if not most, of these incidents leave the confines of the managing agency and sweep out onto lands owned or managed by others. Businesses affected by the fire include Puckers Sports Bar, China Bazaar, Cafe 420, and Gifts of Gatlinburg, according to WVLT News crews on the scene. The actual clifts are small and easily avoided. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates. I can name 14 people who deserved much better! Anytime that one side seeks to destroy the other as opposed to actually raise the issues, I would raise a red flag and wonder what the distraction is really trying to hide! 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. I called Bob back and told him I was leaving hurriedly and that I would call him when we had made it out of woods to Pigeon Forge. Learning for the future is important if it includes changes in policy and procedure. The park should have been begging for help and putting out warnings all week end!!! In wildfire-riddled Tennessee, climate change is a hot topic Yes government at all levels needs to be held accountable; otherwise we regress back into the Dark Ages. He has had to struggle with the untimely death of his very healthy and active in younger retirement parents but both of us having been an EMS and fire service, he is of the opinion just as I am that the NPS as well as the Gatlinburg fire chief and the city and county officials have the most of blood on their hands . 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. GATLINBURG, Tennessee -- The charges have been dropped against two teens who were accused of starting the wildfires in Gatlinburg last fall. This lack of serious response is all too obvious. Im sure there will be lots of finger pointing, name calling pushing for blame and then legal actions. Fire aboard Spirit plane causes emergency landing, sends 10 to hospital From what I understand, the adelgid spreads from tree to tree via the ground, which is why young hemlocks with smooth bark are rarely infested with adelgid. 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. The NPS protected themselves and other special interest groups as well. Alice Hagler, who went missing at Chalet Village, was identified Wednesday night by her son Lyle Wood, who said his mother's body had been found "in the ruins of her home, her life taken by a. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge wildfire evacuation information - WJBF It was also unbelievably dry. Lied too by Gatlinburg or Sevier County officials? By 4:00PM the wind was getting stronger and we were not getting any updated information from local TV news. Not committing firefighters to direct attack in a steep very hard to access high risk area was a good decision. Thanks for adding more good insight. CNN A wildfire burning near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Sevier County, Tennessee, has grown to more than 3,700 acres and impacted more than 100 structures, County Mayor Larry. As it turned out the sprinklers were far above affordable means and way outside the parameters quoted by the NFPA for the cost of a standard sprinkler system so we did not get them. Fire crews were dispatched to a structure fire around 6:30. We discussed what we would/could do if we had to evacuate. OnMonday, 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 caused the deaths of 14people. The fire had spread to Mynatt Park in Gatlinburg, and people were being evacuated from neighborhood there. There was lots of sunlight and lots of low-level vegetation so much that the trail was overgrown and we decided to turn around. Once again, can fire discreetly smolder in the duff amid rock crevices? We went to West TN for Thanksgiving Holidays and came back home to Gatlinburg on Sunday. Yet, at that very time, citizens were asking city employees and fireman if they should evacuate (well documented in the local news). 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. I am rebuilding the home that was burned to the ground possibly due to negligence by local fire officials like many of Lincolns Union generals, did not have the will to fight . Damage was estimated at. I bet someone of you one here would sing a different tune if you loss a big chunk of your retirement because of someone incompetence. So sometime during the night as we now know everything burned down. Anticipating the fire season, firefighting resources (people and equipment) were brought in from around the Southeast and other parts of the country. Great job on this website, it is very informative and I recommend it to everyone in the business. Downtown Gatlinburg fire: Experts identify remains found in rubble Only 0.05 inch fell at the Indian Grave Remote Automatic Weather Station 18 miles west of the fire. Ill tell you why. It was about 11:30AM when we got to downtown Gatlinburg, where I took photos of the heavy on the Parkway in town. 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. Things are changing slowly, and the human factors are unfortunately changing at a much slower pace than the climate and other socio-economic factors. 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. I think 6 days should have been plenty of time for them to do something we now see what inaction causes, dont we. The report said the fire was an . Fourteen people lost their lives. If one is growing by experience you keep them moving forward as we all benefit from their learning and experience. These breaks downs undoubtedly show shortcomings by officials. I knew high winds were predicted for Gatlinburg by watching the weather channel. The radio conversation was fairly early in the day as I recall, maybe 7:30-8:00 am. 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. The winds that Monday afternoon had knocked power lines down and early reporting made mention of separate ignition points in the residential hillsides. I seriously question if bias will be discreetly worked into this agency and their review of the fire?? I understand the excellent point made in the article that history in the Smokies area would expect less of a problem than out West. Unfortunately human lives were lost and hundreds of folks have been displaced. It certainly should be addressed, by We, the People. Virtually no one knows they have it and THEY DID NOT USE IT. They have tied their hands and resources through environmental forestry management. and last updated 4:48 AM, Apr 05, 2022. 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. Instead, the city ordered evacuation of the neighborhoods nearest the NPS day use area that was on fire (Mynatt Park and others). Our world is complex and it is a system of interacting parts, we all need to start thinking more globally (meaning systemic and how each part interacts with the other) in our processes and understand how each choice, decision and action we take personally and as a group affect all the other parts. In addition, officials confirmed that a firefighter was transported to the hospital with minor injuries from the fire but has since been released. Accountability is important and paying the price for our decisions is too. Published: Oct. 11, 2022 at 5:31 PM PDT GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. The truck was filled with firefighters. Later it changed to a mandatory evacuation. There are a lot of downed trees and a lot of trails are temporarily closed to deal with them. However, they are using a Super Tanker to douse the flames going on down 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. We saw some trucks when we drove out late morning. No. I was afraid to go into Park with boys. I think thats pretty cut and dry and yes its their fault that they didnt at least try and do something. I told him to go up and park in driveway close to where I wanted to leave the truck and that I would drive truck up. It is not just officials who have not caught up with the new climate reality, it is the general public and those in the path of fire. Case in point is our European religious history. He also raked as many leaves as he could from around our cabin. The action taken by firefighters on Monday was defensive, to protect threatened structures at a nearby National Park Service picnic ground. Lets hope that this round regarding the fire and loss of life, it will be more difficult for officials to weasel out of this one. The learning system of resolution. The fire was reported to be near the Twin Creeks Picnic Center at 1130. They did too little, too late. So whether the defendants started the 14th fire or not, a close examination of this Facebook press release indicates the fire apparently started on the 13th; and yet a social media photo post claims the 12th clearly showing a lack of response once again in fire suppression by the NPS. 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. The electricity goes out almost everytime there is a high wind. Would it not be more beneficial to hold accountability by insuring that analysis of cause and effect and learning take place; that change is done where change is needed? What good does it do to lynch those who are learning and gaining the very experience we expect and seek? He wanted us to pack and leave. There are many many folks who even if cell service were functional could not afford it. A good example of the kind of human factors that continue to get in the way of better preparedness and change for the good is the backlash in which one reporter from NC received when she asked tough questions of some officials. Contingency plans for how to evacuate the entire town, regardless of the specific hazard, were not well thought out. Death toll rises to 13 in Tennessee wildfires as grim search for It is a primary source and illuminates some of the discussion topics that have been on Wildfire Today. Ive noted the contrast between how the Incident Management Teams approached the fires compared to the NPS. He promised a committee to study what happened and there has been no word since. Until 1 p.m. sustained speeds were 4 to 6 mph with gusts at 12 to 19 mph. Just looking at media coverage on the evacuation order public messaging snafu points out that this fire will provide many lessons learned for future fire managers. There is an old saying he is known for: When government cannot accept criticism from the people, secular authority is no longer a democracy, but a dictatorship (paraphrased). For the availability of resources our local volunteer departments are doing a good job, but things are changing and we need to get out of the boxes we are in, and start critical thinking and creatively to meet the challenges of the future because they are rapidly descending upon us whether we like it or not. But instead great risks were taken through basic inaction and the consequences were disastrous. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - One person died and another was injured in a large fire in downtown Gatlinburg Sunday. Three people were killed and 14 others sent to area hospitals, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said Tuesday. The excellent Park folks seemed to just monitor it, and it resolved itself. Also, for the last several decades, NPS policies have allowed these excessive fuels to build. Copyright 2022 WVLT. I have a close friend on IMT in southern CO so have some familiarity with the process. SOURCE Like this: Loading. Thank you for making a point of the fact that we are all human beings with faults by design so that we need each other to succeed and survive. The Chimney Tops 2 Fire was reported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, TN at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, 2016. He asked them how or who we could contact to get emergency information. But it is good that you ask questions, and you should expect answers and a demonstration of learning, but you have to give that opportunity, just as you would want. I hope that EM officials and local planning officials reconsider what and how structures are rebuilt in that area. Millions of dollars will be spent recovering and mitigating the after effects of this human caused and exasperated wildfire. The steepness here is epic, the only way out of valleys this steep is straight down or up, your lucky not to hit a waterfall. Kelly, Lloyd and anyone else that had home and/or businesses losses from the fire, tell everyone involved to write and/or call the governors office about what is going on. Had they viewed the Chimney Tops 2 fire as though it was in the forested southwest Im sure they would have issued pre-evacuation notices up to 48 hours prior to the wind events of that Monday. I did blast him; and though I do have the utmost respect for his firefighting endeavors; it it disheartening to see someone with this apparent degree of experience claim this Chimney Tops Fire look at both fires was unpredictable. Above: Chimney Tops 2 Fire at 9:37 p.m. November 28, 2016 after it had burned into Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It is very steep terrain, I would estimate about a 65 degree incline, but it is not easy to fall to your death there. Still cant seem to get any answers if the BACKFIRES got out of control when the NPS ignited them contributing to the loss of life and structures in Gatlinburg??? How Gatlinburg attempted to notify its residents to evacuate as the fire burned into the city, http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/2016/12/13/timeline-gatlinburg-wildfires/95138656/, http://www.southernfireexchange.org/etc/ITPFISE.pdf, Long bushfire season wears down firefighters in Queensland and Western Australia, Community near Heppner, Oregon first in Morrow County to earn Firewise designation, County Cork fire brigades work through the night on gorse fires, Renewed call for the Holy Grail of firefighter tracking, Hiker owes $300,000 for Arizona wildfire he started. Pacific Buddhist Academy set to hold 17th annual Taiko Festival, the 14th annual Kualoa Hakipuu canoe festival back after a few years of kind of being shuttered because of the pandemic. 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. Due to the damage this fire has caused Im sure there will be follow-up effects (and recriminations) for years. We could see the smoke. I thought if we were have to leave we could take both vehicles to our friends house to sit out the night. Do we need to learn from it. Officials identified Robert A. Hejny, 63, who was found at Traveler's Motel in Gatlinburg. With the wildfires scattered across western N.C., we are lucky that, given parallel conditions of the wildfires that swept down the Chimney Tops into Gatlinburg ..i.e. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Facebook page reported (on Monday 11/28 at 1046am) that gusting winds have caused the fire to spot across the ridges in the Chimney Tops and Bull head Ridge Area. 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. Where the fire burned the valley floor, the desiccated hemlock burned freely and fully. They felt this was an attempt to start a forest fire and it was reported to officials. People that I know said that not implementing fire suppression is exactly what they should have done, so we can agree to disagree. They didnt want CNN down there declaring their tourist town a death trap. Whether it be a resources, financial, training, bias, discriminatory, knowledge, failure to support, equipment or other systemic, human, data or other failures; we often seek to put the blame on any one or a few of the workers when the real root of the problems lies in systemic, resource or other human interaction issues and decisions made by others seemingly unconnected to the immediate event. The Cove Mountain weather station is 8 miles northwest of the origin of the Chimney Tops 2 Fire, 5 miles west of downtown Gatlinburg, and 3 miles west of the last known western edge of the fire. Back home in West TN, when tornado warnings were active in a particular area there were loud sirens that went off. Who ever was in charge should loose their job!!! Waited a month to report this event and turn over the pictures they took to forestry officials! Given enough time the clock will run out and the weather will either be in the fire mangers favor or WATCH OUT! I am not one to Monday Morning Quarterback, because none of us have all the information and really we all have limited information, no one person knows it all; but as a citizen with background knowledge, experience, training, risk and situational awareness, the potential was clearly predictable days in advance of the aggressive action. The fire ballooned to more than 17,000 acres when winds stronger than 80 miles per hour carried the fire down the mountain and through Gatlinburg and parts of Pigeon Forge Nov. 28. It is important to look at many facets, evidence and root cause studies so that the issues can be resolved. 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. 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. Please factor this in to your fire response in the future. We had better see something besides suggestions for new warning systems and making people that are rebuilding their homes put in overly expensive sprinkler systems that way they can say to the press they made major strides and changes and they learned from the fire. Our local congressional representative will be the first to confront the Park Service for numerous shortfalls, bias agendas that cater to special interest groups, and a host of other issues to where the NPS serves itself more so than the people. if/when evacuation notice was given. May God look out for all of you in your time of loss. I have a photo I took from the Walmart parking lot looking south that shows how smoky it was in Pigeon Forge. Every business downtown was closed except for Bubba Gumps.
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