Fire-wanted or unwanted- is not a warm and fuzzy abstract thing it is often portrayed in todays media and society to play around with. The fire burned 38,000 acres of state managed conservation areas and private timber lands. Everyone knew how dry it was. The Chimney Tops Trail led from the highway to the top of the hill. Analyzing the fire that burned into Gatlinburg - Wildfire Today Park Service has not issued any warnings and there are no active fires in Gatlinburg city limits. I ask her if they had plans of issuing a warning if evacuations became necessary and ask her how they would do that. Accountability! Without sufficient safe zones being created in advance each road was easily blocked either by fire or debris. 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. Screenshot from the Knox News video. I hope this video puts people at ease that this fire is. Emergency management should have been all over this from the very beginning. I hope to remedy that starting now! 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. Needless to say one tanker run can drop more water than two helicopters can do in a full day. I think thats pretty cut and dry and yes its their fault that they didnt at least try and do something. Thank you for the timeline and the opportunity for comments. No pre-evacuation notice was sent so citizens could be ready to depart. I was nervous about it. I felt it urgent to get out of the woods. The terrain was steep, a vertical distance of 1,300 feet from the bottom of the drainages to the top of the hill. Yet if no one raises cain about it, things will be rebuilt with no regard for such safety factors. Experience by itself often lends to complacency and been there done that thinking. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages. 1 dead in Anchorage home fire that officials say was likely caused by It is very steep terrain, I would estimate about a 65 degree incline, but it is not easy to fall to your death there. Our neighbors 3 doors down were outside near their car. What caused the Gatlinburg wildfire? 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. This is what happened with a handful of officials/personnel regarding the fatal 2000 black bear mauling of a woman hiker in Elkmont. For now there is heartbreak and hindsight on the part of every one now. Oh thats right they did but it was after everything burned! The Gatlinburg fire chief put out a notice for additional help to come to Gatlinburg around 11:52 pm. Cafe 420 and Gifts of Gatlinburg were also destroyed. Thank you for this excellent synopsis. A high-elevation area that possessed the largest unbroken Spruce-Fir forest in the S. Appalachians. There could be traffic jams. I had concerns about traffic once we got down there. I realize some of my questioning is speculative and yet legitimate. I was in my cabin on 28 November and barely made it out alive. As a citizen with a firefighting background, I knew days ahead of time that high mountain winds were expected in the Eastern TN/NC Mountains, coupling that with the extreme drought conditions and the knowledge of the massive amount of ground fuel available in the forest based on being in the forest regularly even just days prior, outside observing the conditions and the terrain. Regarding the Chimney Tops Fire of Nov 14th, 2016, https://www.facebook.com/GreatSmokyMountainsNPS/posts/1236286613095333. Unusually dry conditions in eastern Tennessee spurred a ban on fires in the national park on Nov. 15. Lets say the NPS put a crew on it day one in steep inaccessible terrain as they say it was in. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new articles by email. However, by the time a federal judge dropped the charges six months later, some had lost focus on the fire. On Sunday evening we discussed with Gatlinburg friends the forecast for high winds on Monday, so I disagree with local Gatlinburg officials that they were caught by surprise. 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. Instead simply took pictures on their phone, 3. Both east and west forks of the Pigeon River. This is a developing story. Typically instead of outright termination, the NPS is classic just to relocate the personnel and in some cases give them a promotion to keep them happy and from whistle-blowing; or just live in a delusional world of denial. I seriously question if bias will be discreetly worked into this agency and their review of the fire?? The one thing I noticed over the fall was that the National Forest Service held themselves accountable, called in Incident Management Teams from all over the country with big wildfire experience and those teams got it done. So this has affected everyone in the area in one form or another. 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. They didnt and now its the property owners problem, they havent offered any clean up assistance, free dumping fees, no permit cost to rebuild, and certainly no financial help. Like hell he did. Because we were heading home to Ohio early Tuesday morning, we packed our suitcases and put them in the car. Thanks for the correction Bill. Of course Dollywood and Gatlinburg was virtually unscathed. The wildfires caused millions of dollars in damage. I phoned 911 and reported that the fire was approaching our home and that it was within a few feet of the city/park boundary. Wildland firefighters typically request Spot Weather Forecasts from the NWS for wildland fires or other events that can be greatly influenced by weather. Yes, some the ridges connecting to chimney-tops had dead hemlock stands. Will some folks be held accountable for actions or non-actions related to this wildfire incident? If the new location isnt in Gatlinburg, it will definitely be in Sevier County. We listened to local TV news at home which reported voluntary evacuations for Mynatt Park after fire was reported in the Twin Creeks area. Collaboration, open thinking and creativeness are key. When did Gatlinburg burn . Copyright 2022 WVLT. teams had Lake Lure and Tate City evacuate when high winds were forecast. The businesses include Cafe 420 . I was in my cabin the night of the fire and if I had spotted it a minute or so after I did I would not be alive to type this right now. The winds were blowing from the Chimneys more down the mountain than up toward LeConte. Shelter locations could have been announced, especially encouraging people to take action during the daylight hours that day so that escaping in total darkness during an inferno of fire or not having the means to do so would not be forced on people, and they could make arrangements for their own safety. On Oct. 9, a woman who was working at the Ripleys Aquarium smelled smoke and walked up to 745 Parkway Suite 4 to investigate. I parked truck right beside a big mound of rip rap that Bob had dumped for lining the ditches on sides of our neighborhood roads, which arent through roads. They were told No, we have it under control.. With all due respect to your comment, you seem to be a bit condescending toward some folks asking very legitimate questions; and giving the impression you are trying to the get the heat off the back of NPS officials. 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. Kelly you are right, NO Help from City or County in the clean up..SOS home owners responsible for all.. Not sure why it matters, but you offered such a specific time, thought I would offer info to possibly make it more accurate. 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. As it was, there had been brush fires burning in N Georgia and Western NC since October. Waited a month to report this event and turn over the pictures they took to forestry officials! Gatlinburg Fire 2016: The Start. This isnt finger pointing its the simple facts of the entire situation like it or not! It was as if time had passed with no motivational disaster to spur this awareness, at least not in my local community. Where was all the HELP TO PUT THIS FIRE OUT A WHEN IT STARTED???? 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. Politics, as we know can cloud even a clear sunny day!!! Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. On the evening of the fire, I was monitoring tornadic storms across northern Mississippi because my family were driving to Triage of resource needs versus values at risk, firefighter safety, resource values and political realities all come into play. Property owners still have the rights to protect their property. Those businesses were also protected from the fire. Something broke down here and at the risk of not being PC the important thing is that the issues are discovered and learning takes place followed by action. Bill, correct me if I am wrong, but aircraft should be on the ground a half hour after sunset? We must open our eyes and ears and check behind each corner and crevice to see the reality and not just the story being told by a few. But I believe there is a fourth element of fire behavior prediction and that is the element of situational awareness. I have a close friend on IMT in southern CO so have some familiarity with the process. Below is a comment I posted from New Sentinel article about Gatlinburg fire, Wildfire Today something that undoubtedly should be investigated as well as compared to their actions of the 23rd to 28th Chimney Tops Fire 2: Officials are evasive and vague about the 1st Chimney Tops Fire. 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. We stopped at another neighbors house. Thank-you Bill for your through and in depth analysis of this wildfires chain-of events. Just like the Mayor of Amity in Jaws, they didnt want the tourists to see this much reality. Gatlinburg is in Sevier County. 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. I appreciate that fine quality of writing that expresses your thoughts in an easy to read yet structured style that makes sense. Their chronological order of events doesnt match up with what some folks were observing posted on social media. Humans lostfire won. Mitchell, Mt. I left early to get boys and filled Stantons old Subaru Outback up with gas. It was about 11:30AM when we got to downtown Gatlinburg, where I took photos of the heavy on the Parkway in town. Corker and Alexander know what would happen if they tried to interfere with a Federal prosecution! I wonder when NPS actually put out a request for Incident Management Team support. According to Ms.Schroer, firefighters walked up the Chimney Tops Trail to the top of the hill to size it up. I would describe this as flooding in Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg Tennessee, but certainly heavy rain rising the water levels throughout. We were wearing bandanas wrapped around our faces at this point. Who allowed this to happen? All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect. For the most part, the issues are with the Upper Brass. The facts are clear that this was not the appropriate action taking during the initial stages of the Chimney Top 2 wildfire. A voluntary evacuation should have been issued at least 36 hours before the fire exploded. Classic Swiss Cheese risk management fire management failurehave we as a profession learned anything since South Canyon, Yarnell and now Chimney Top 2? Years ago, the NPS wasnt maintaining the churches in Cades Cove of the Smokies. Chalet Village Gatlinburg, Tommy there is a class action lawsuit being formulated by a Knoxville attorney. That and your wish to pay 50% income tax and there will never be a fire again! About 20 years ago, I hiked to Albright Grove, an old-growth hemlock forest near Greenbrier. 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. 10/10/22, 1:56 p.m. But when it's close to home, the sadness and concern of those affected is ten-fold in the worry department. milepost 316. There were ashes raining and that was very alarming to me. Fortunately, Wildfire Today and Knox News had both published detailed timelines about what happened and when, before the Sevier County DA cut off the info flow. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the GFD, Gatlinburg Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A lady answered phone. These words are so terribly inadequate but I feel even worse not saying anything at all. Perhaps all the firefighters prior experience was giving them mental slides that were no longer valid given the conditions. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages The aptly named Fire Cherry, Beech and Mtn. This is just one more example of one more related issue that is seemingly un-connected until you delve into the issues deeply. No warnings of spreading fire, just radar and high wind warnings. It is truly appreciated. 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. Superintendent Cash says the NPS has no jurisdiction to issue evacuations for the City of Gatlinburg. Anticipating the fire season, firefighting resources (people and equipment) were brought in from around the Southeast and other parts of the country. Intense, deep burning fires with significant downwind spotting should be expected. 2 min read. I visited Gatlinburg on a trip to Asheville NC, in 1980. All together this was the absolute worse place to have a fire at almost the worst time, save it was lucky to not have been a few weeks earlier. 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. Alice Hagler was reported missing by her family and later confirmed dead. "We've had five (fatalities) really close together and this is more than we normally have by this time of year," Boyd said. I am broken-hearted over it .. 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. Lets see what reviews done by people with expertise in wildland fire management come up with. Fire aboard Spirit plane causes emergency landing, sends 10 to hospital Accountability is important and paying the price for our decisions is too. they may be using too wide a brush to place blame. They felt this was an attempt to start a forest fire and it was reported to officials. 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!
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