who caused the gatlinburg fires?

They had no sirens or Claxons blaring, no shouting to evacuate thru their grill mounted speakers. Sandra, I agree. That didnt work out. Its incredulous that evacuation didnt go out then. Those with information are urged to contact the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017 or the GFD at 865-436-5112. What were the emergency managers of this county doing/thinking at this time? Just wondering was it God who drastically cut the federal budgets for NPS, Wildland firefighters and other resources or was that Congress? Three people were killed and 14 others sent to area hospitals, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said Tuesday. Kelly you are right, NO Help from City or County in the clean up..SOS home owners responsible for all.. They just hurl mean criticisms and put downs from a safe distance Brene Brown. U.S. Park Service (again) and Thanksgiving. 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. Ive posted this type of questioning on other Wildfire Today articles. Its all in moderately dense forest that overhangs above the road. For the most part, the issues are with the Upper Brass. Photos: Fire in Gatlinburg, Tennessee | Photo Galleries | herald How did I know that? 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. Basically telling the press, the public and the injured families to go to hell. 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 . This fire was a terrible tragedy and would require tremendous foresight on the part of such people to have kept people from harm and property from destruction, in this case, because people needed to be aware of the likelihood of the imminent danger they were facing if they stayed in Gatlinburg on Monday evening and overnight. Tennessee wildfire near Gatlinburg prompts evacuations of 11,000 homes However, by the time a federal judge dropped the charges six months later, some had lost focus on the fire. I asked my husband to go outside and hook up the water hose we had disconnected for winter. Even Congressman from east TN and western NC need to here it. Aircraft dropping water or fire retardant on a fire cannot put it out. 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. Regardless, the appropriate aerial assault should continue. We must change our minds first and then we must change our actions. There could be traffic jams. I repeat The NPS and the Fire Chief of Gatlinburg should have started fighting the Chimney Tops 2 fire aggressively the day it was discovered. It caused a shutdown . Thats why I refused to use a local contractor. level, in advance of this disaster had occured. As we drove in the smoke was no better than it had been when we left cabin, it was worse. 2 min read. 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. The Chimney Tops 2 could be a good case in point. I told him my home was on fire and he said they were evacuating everyone,then. What caused the Gatlinburg wildfire? Even life-long locals said they had never seen rhododendren wither up before. It is very hard and slow to navigate through laurel stands and the thick Tennesee Barbed Wire Briar patches. Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire I was in my cabin on 28 November and barely made it out alive. wasnt blocked off since Mynatt Park was told to evacuate at 5:17. One indicator of drought and its effect on how wildfires burn is the Keetch-Byram Drought Index(KBDI). My wife and I hiked to Alum Cave Bluffs Saturday, Nov. 26, while the fire was small up on the Chimneys. All the guy in the truck told us was that they had dug a fire line and were told to wait here. Then another large red pickup came down from Turkey Nest Road and stopped in front of us. Many, if not most, of these incidents leave the confines of the managing agency and sweep out onto lands owned or managed by others. I knew high winds were predicted for Gatlinburg by watching the weather channel. I began picking up news stories of the fire in Gatlinburg from as the storm rolled east. The lawsuits from an event like Gatlinburg could go on for decades. This Park Ranger was appointed to this position in December 2014 and he took office in February 2015, so in a span of one year and nine months he managed to let the place burn and we have owned property there for 32 years and nothing remotely like this has ever happened. I checked historical aerial photos on the USGS website because the die-off of the hemlock has been primarily over the past 10 years in the southeastern Appalachians. Difficult access to safely fight fire, lack of pre-blow up fire management, and extreme drought capped off by an exceptional weather event led to the July 1st, 1998 Farmton firestorm that burned through the rural community where I lived in east central Florida. Collaboration, open thinking and creativeness are key. But until the review of the fire is complete and the report is published, I would be careful with a statement like this: The Chimney Tops fire was a wildfire being monitored given limited resources initially because of the many other ongoing fires in the region to which fire-fighting resources were committed. You bet you were. 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. I feel sad for everyone involved. From an all hazards POV large scale fire should have been recognized long before any drought conditions. Officials said three people were found dead from fires in the Chalet Village area, and one person was discovered dead near a motel on Highway 321. 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. This is just one more example of one more related issue that is seemingly un-connected until you delve into the issues deeply. I learned so much from the Incident Management Team websites for the various big fires in the mountains (Cohuttas, Joyce Kilmer, Standing Indian, Boteler, Tellico, Party Rock, Pinnacle Mountain). As it was, there had been brush fires burning in N Georgia and Western NC since October. 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. Was the fire that inaccessible on foot? All rights reserved. Prayers for Gatlinburg - Fairborn Daily Herald What about firefighter safety? There is a marked increase in smoke and decreasing visibility due to the smoke. We got a text message. Anticipating the fire season, firefighting resources (people and equipment) were brought in from around the Southeast and other parts of the country. A stroke in 2011 left Akaka partially paralyzed and unable to speak but he didn't need words to express his joy to be reunited with it. Only 0.05 inch fell at the Indian Grave Remote Automatic Weather Station 18 miles west of the fire. I know that because of my experience, my training, my ongoing learning and situational awareness of a host of related and seemingly unrelated knowledge. Like I said this is like so many tragic events, a chain reaction of events that all contributed to a disastrous outcome, because of actions and inactions that were not questioned or corrected at many steps of the way. Im hoping at this point, its going to be pretty quick. 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 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. Just the mechanics of this devastating wildfire without any editorial comments. An ongoing lawsuit against the National Park Service over its handling of the 2016 Gatlinburg Wildfire is on hold as a federal judge considers a motion to dismiss the suit. Lets look in the mirror before we are too quick to blame someone else. 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. I particularly liked Sharon Jensens after action summary. What the kids did was extremely wrong and they should and will be punished for it but any Philadelphia lawyer work his retainer fee well get these kids off with no more than arson and reckless endangerment. Yet if no one raises cain about it, things will be rebuilt with no regard for such safety factors. The leaves that had hung on into late Fall because of lack of winds and rain for months began to rain from the trees in copious amounts and there were leaf funnels forming and it was hard as we ran from cabin to car loading Abram and Lady. LeConte. 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. The next morning we werent allowed to go check on our house because of fires still burning and impassable roads. The immediate flash of ground clutter was followed by the much slower burning of the dead and down trees and stumps. Good points about differentiating between prescribed fire and the wildfire. I hope the governors investigation team finds all of the miscues AND gets proper training for all the different agencies involved. We are excited to start new memories and get back on the trails. 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. Those decisions had to be made with the best information available at the time not what we now know in post incident critique. ATF, other agencies search for cause of blaze that claimed life of Buffalo firefighter. Vincent Gabrielle, Knoxville News Sentinel. And each structure became much more of a threat than the spreading ground fire ever was. I was in the area hiking November 21 and there was no smoke coming from the Chimneys area. They had no sirens or Claxons blaring, no shouting to evacuate thru their grill mounted speakers. The timeline of when NPS requested additional help was unfortunately too late for help to arrive before the firestorm hit. 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. 321) at Glades Road and the Post Office. Those with information are urged to contact the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017 or the GFD at 865-436-5112. By the time we got to the Marshalls house it was 6:00 PM and they were watching the news. I believe someone else may have mentioned this in other Wildfire Today article/comments? The amount of dead Frazier fir and Spruce trees, caused by similar non-native infestation, is dramatic on Newfound Gap road, but mainly past The Chimneys at higher elevations. Shame on you. The lines between reality and virtual reality or fake reality are so blurred. 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??? Wildland firefighters typically request Spot Weather Forecasts from the NWS for wildland fires or other events that can be greatly influenced by weather. Jeannine, what an awesome, in-depth and thoughtful response. FEMA did say they would give us a low interest rate loan, we dont want a loan we worked hard and paid it off and dont want to go in debt to rebuild! There are A lot of cheap seats in the arena filled with people who never venture onto the floor. Officials will verify renters and lease holders, as needed. Thats perfect Johnny. Youve certainly added much food for thought. 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. Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire. Incident Mgt. It is to be considered, but verified by other means. We are emotional beings, we feel and we have the capability to think. Jordans comments on the video indicates that their management was taking care to show how they were not responsible. When I crawled my way up Pinecrest Drive to Wiley Oakley through dense smoke, I saw a Gatlinburg pumper at the top of the hill. I visited Gatlinburg on a trip to Asheville NC, in 1980. Intention is important, even in a court of law, intention ways heavily on the sentencing. There were ashes raining and that was very alarming to me. We are still dealing but two of us or degree, the emotional loss of losing our beloved cabin but now we are in the rebuild mode. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages I have wanted to learn because I dont know enough to say much, but when I read your two posts about the loss of your cabin, and your escape, I felt I had to say, Im so sorry, to you, and probably speak for many many others who did not find this blog and find an avenue to learn, listen and to speak. Emergency crews were on the scene for 31 hours extinguishing the fire before the emergency demolition was requested. The coolness and the moisture were gone. etc. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Gatlinburg Fire Department and Gatlinburg Police Department officials are investigating. Given the wind forecast, pre-evac notice should have gone out on Sunday, Monday morning at latest. It is unfortunate that in our society people who speak out with a loud voice, or otherwise make waves for the privileged, get not only scorned but categorically destroyed by well planned out and financed design, often full of cover-up and lies and then propaganda is feed to the rest of us, of which we often take for gospel, when in fact is often not based on evidence or fact. A lot of personnel put forth heroic efforts to save lives and we should all be grateful for that. Most of those resources were involved in those ongoing fires and unavailable for immediate response to a small fire, when it was still small. This openness which allows for both expression of feeling and diversity of thought and ideas will be what drives our ability to fix the complex issues we are faced with, and to grow as human individuals, groups and nations. When we reached Turkey Nest Road there was a big white crewcab pickup truck parked in front of Barbaras Real Estate. This should not be a time to blame and inflame, but to think and act wisely. 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. Body found amid rubble of Sunday's major fire in Gatlinburg 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 drove down to Calhouns complex, through their parking area and back out onto the parkway and headed east. I am hopeful that there are enough folks taking note of and keeping a watchful eye out for this situation, so that lies and cover-up will be vetted. We were there on Thanksgiving week-end. I did not rely on a fire weather service for my information even though I new where to look, I used much of the common everyday information available to the open community, the data I had learned from and observed during the short time of being in this area, and current observations. Why is forestry both national and state not working more collaboratively with citizens and local fire departments to improve awareness and preparation? Those businesses were also protected from the fire. City prosecutors have charged a longtime Mililani High School leader with multiple counts of theft. I got out of the car and walked up to the side of the pickup truck. By the time the troops were called in, it was too late. When I came out of dr. office, which is located on Middle Creek close to hospital, the atmosphere was eerie. On the map below, the fire is the small dot in the center surrounded by the yellow line. Case in point, the wildfires in Florida 1998, in which those experts were unaware of or underestimated the burning intensity of the Palm Oils from the Florida flora, which were as flammable liquid fires during those wildfires. True, our firefighters and 1st responders put their lives in harms way and we should respect them; and yet distinguish these folks from officials who are undoubtedly making bad calls/decisions. Concerning the time the fire jumped 441. He told me he was scared to drive the truck-its a lot more cumbersome in the local terrain than his little Outback. Will we fail forward? Thanks for the correction Bill. Case in point is our European religious history. When I got home our dog was sneezing repeatably so I brought her in. He asked them if they could give us an update on the fire and they said no. It is my understanding this first fire was at or near the summit in the immediate vicinity of the 2nd fire which unfortunately devastated Gatlinburg. 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. 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. On November 23 when the fire was discovered the KBDI was 599, Molly Schroer, a spokesperson for the IMT told us. A spokesperson for the city said the Gatlinburg Fire Department was dispatched to the 700 block of Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg at 6:39 a.m. on October 9. 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. We checked the Spot Weather Forecasts that were requested by the NPS and issued by the NWS for the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. 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 helicopter worked until it had to refuel and then two other Type 1 helicopters took its placeuntil dark. Anyone can arm chair quarterback incident manager decisions after the smoke clears. I also wanted to let everyone know that the City and County is an example of nepotism at its finest. LeConte is going to be fine. Both east and west forks of the Pigeon River. There are three broad categories of conditions that affect the way a wildfire burns: weather, fuels (vegetation), and topography. Dollywood flat out refused to even consider we needed any help and also tried to shame our neighbor to discourage home not to take it. 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. Many times this tactic takes commitment of over a week. 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. November 27th, 35 acres. Narrowing it down to human-causes is easy for an investigator. 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. I am sure the Alum Cave trail up Mt. There are hundreds of hemlock skeletons heading north from Chimney Rock. As the crow flies, thats not far from Gatlinburg and Ive heard of and read about how quickly wildfires spread and how far reaching they can be under dry conditions from drought. Thanksfully ATF agents helped TN Bureau of Investigation put their full resources at hand and arrested to two teenage idiots that started the fire. All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect. Gatlinburg Wildfire: 2 Juveniles Charged With Arson - NPR January 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm Sunset that day was at 5:21 p.m. which would have allowed them to drop on the fire until 5:51 p.m., 30 minutes after sunset. The Gatlinburg Fire Department was dispatched to the 700 block of Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg at 6:39 a.m. on October 9. I hope this video puts people at ease that this fire is. A temporary evacuation refuge with limited services is located at Max Hasse Community Park . 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. They will be touched in their heart as deeply as anyone who has lost in the tragedy itself. No pre-evacuation notice was sent so citizens could be ready to depart. Too often the only voice that is heard in our society is money and the more one has the more they are heard. Multiple businesses were destroyed in the flames, totaling an estimated $7 million in damage. 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. The fire continued to spread throughout the entire structure. Remember GSMNP is not Yosemite or Yellowstone with extreme fire behavior and a history of problems. Granted these fires werent inside Gatlinburg, but the fire chief knew full well the potential for catastrophic wildfires in these mountains. 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. That factor is the density of residential development, layout of roads, and approved building materials present in that area. Within a few days or week prior to this deadly fire I heard a local major Knoxville radio station broadcasting a satire bashing HRC, Obama, the Federal Government among a few other controversial things, and how the revolution has begun including the incitement of burning down the place, this Knoxville radio station followed this rant with songs whose lyrics tough-ted and instructed the starting of fires. 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. No one wanted the castrophe that resulted. Along with other Park issues like un-managed timber (very limited burns, mostly fields, not forested areas), we concluded the saying demolition by neglect. 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. There are other variables that are of concern here too, such as area resources that are already low and being taxed by the sheer number of fires occurring in the region, the growth of urban interface among the eastern forests, rugged mountainous terrain and economic restraints. James, thank you for that compliment! 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. God doesnt cut financial budgets. Do we need to learn from it. Finally a local coalition was formed to put pressure on NPS officials to uphold their mandate on historic structures. Jim Renfro, the air quality specialist for GRSM, said the strongest wind gust recorded at Cove Mountain was 87 mph at 9 p.m. on Monday. 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 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. One thing Id add: the county is allowing residents that lost their home to use their existing block or poured foundation as long as they have one of their local cemetacious experts test it and approve it. 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? The earlier fire on the hill was named Chimney Tops hence the name Chimney Tops 2 for the new blaze. GRSM firefighters spotted the new fire as they returned from responding to a report of a vehicle fire. The more we let our selves be vulnerable and courageous in the face of tough situations, the more chance that we have that we will fall, and we will; we all will at some point if we take that risk to be brave and courageous. And on top of all that, they have teams that stay and clean up after the fires, repairing dozer and fire lines to reflect natural terrain, knocking down trees that would be a hazard to hikers and hunters, repairing the roads that heavy equipment damaged. It is this same type of think tank and diversity we need in reaching a host of solutions to our complexity of problems both in this situation and in all others. 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. If that was the case, then they had to be fully aware that the fire was going to come down the mountain and burn not only NPS structures, but Gatlinburg structures as well? Kind of like closing the barn door after the cow gets out, dont you think? Copyright 2022 WVLT. Instead simply took pictures on their phone, 3. Thanks for adding more good insight. It was also unbelievably dry. On the night before I left for Branson, I had terrible nightmares of being caught in a forest fire in Branson. I think thats pretty cut and dry and yes its their fault that they didnt at least try and do something. According to FOX 5's Matthew Cappucci the smoke plume got to about 3,600 feet and . The city said crews working the structure fire that . Charges dismissed against boys, ages 17 and 15 after Gatlinburg - WITI We had no significant rain in 2 months!!! We have a mountaintop cabin about 50 miles south of this area. 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 . Chimney 2 Fire Archives - Wildfire Today The report said the fire was an accident and caused around $7 million in damages. I can only hope that the actions are being undertaken somewhere and by the decision-makers and leaders to think and act differently. GATLINBURG, Tenn. UPDATE (Monday): Firefighters discovered a body in the rubble of these fires, our ABC affiliate WATE reported Monday morning.

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