who caused the gatlinburg fires?

We had somewhat of a plan but both agreed that if we had a warning or concern we would leave because of our location and our neighborhood has no fire hydrants. Tennessee Wildfire Cause: Gatlinburg Fires May Have Been Man-Made Youve certainly added much food for thought. I called Bob, boys and I got a bite to eat for supper so we wouldnt be a bother to our friends whose house we were going to wait out the evening. It is the duty of the people and Congress to maintain and voice our concerns and opinions to where check and balances work. . Visibility was so low that other car lights could barely be seen from oncoming cars. Branson is built into the mountainous forests of south-central Missouri, is a resort town, and a retirement community and entertainment venue. We couldnt go up Motor Nature Trail so we went back to Cherokee Orchard Road. Standing dead hemlock burned up their trunks, to as high as 50 feet on one specimen I saw. The fire was reported to be near the Twin Creeks Picnic Center at 1130. Sitting in a Sevierville motel room for four days watching the fire chief, city mayor, city manager, and county mayor pat each other on the back for being Mountain Strong sickened me. 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. 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. Im sure there will be lots of finger pointing, name calling pushing for blame and then legal actions. 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. 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. 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. notice should have been at 5-6 given the wind. I hope they end up being involved in the biggest lawsuit anyone has ever seen! Perhaps all the firefighters prior experience was giving them mental slides that were no longer valid given the conditions. Yes my house burnt along with 520 others in North Chalet Village, village no longer but all foundations. Click here. The winds were getting stronger. He yelled at Bates to get out, and Bates did leave before coming back without the worker knowing. The three places the fire was stated to have been seem to line up pretty straight on the map. I can hear it now, hasnt the NPS learned anything in the past 10-20 yrs? We got a text message. The public cannot sit on their hands and expect anything to change. Ten people were hospitalized after a Spirit Airlines plane bound for Orlando, Florida, made an emergency landing in Jacksonville due to a fire onboard, according to officials. 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. fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. 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. 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? When the Chimney Tops 2 Fire burned into Gatlinburg on November 28, 2016 and destroyed thosestructures it was drivenprimarily by weather specifically, very strong winds. Frederick County, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of The fire was approximately 8 acres in size, according to GRSM. It must have been Sunday, because a Type 1 team came in on Tuesday. We looked at each other and I asked if we should leave or go back and try to use the water hose to protect the house. It would make suppression efforts difficult, but a fire break could have been constructed around the original slow-moving fire in the early days. Bob headed our way. They must be invited in by the state, so the bureaucracy and border silos are at issue here too. The fire, which was reported at 6:39 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of Parkway,. I certainly agree there are definitely consequences for our actions, for some more than others. I dont have the statistics to prove what you wrote is incorrect, but I am convinced that it is not a fact to say most of the fires that are monitored (as opposed to fully suppressed) escape outside the agencys borders. He asked them if they could give us an update on the fire and they said no. Yet no one made a move. Will the NPS Fire Management leadership at the Regional, NIFC and Washington DC levels admit to some very poor policy and decision making problems associated with the Chimney Top 2 disaster? By the time the troops were called in, it was too late. The fire could have been stopped over the weekend if proper procedures had been followed. Many, if not most, of these incidents leave the confines of the managing agency and sweep out onto lands owned or managed by others. The dead hemlock had to have been of huge impact to the fire. If you search around, you can find a recorded radio transmission by TN Forestry personnel from that fateful morning (my old brain doesnt remember where it was posted and I didnt bookmark it, but some other WFT readers may know). The NPS investigation team has all this information and everything posted on Wildfire Today and a lot of info that was never made public. Officials said three people. 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. Five days is a generous amount of time to request and receive firefighters. I am thankful so many are not only opening their eyes here, but taking action and questioning. The city said crews working the structure fire that . When we got to end of Beech Branch Rd., and turned onto Spur, there was no traffic but the winds were getting worse. Gatlinburg Fire 2016: How It Happened & the Aftermath - PigeonForge.com WTF were they letting the planes in Chattanooga sit idle? I was in the area hiking November 21 and there was no smoke coming from the Chimneys area. This eventually will affect us all at some point in time, as we too may one day find ourselves faced with similar circumstance. It also led officials to. But when it's close to home, the sadness and concern of those affected is ten-fold in the worry department. I wonder when NPS actually put out a request for Incident Management Team support. According to FOX 5's Matthew Cappucci the smoke plume got to about 3,600 feet and . Multiple businesses were destroyed in the flames, totaling an estimated $7 million in damage. A true lackadaisical response. 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. 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. This truck was also filled with firefighters. That mall is also rigidly enforced. When the fire started on Chimney Tops I thought surely the National Park Service would take necessary steps to put it out quickly because of the sure danger of it spreading. I fully understand the financial difficulties of the NPS and with firefighters abroad. Some of those GSMNP personnel were trained out west and know how fast a wildfire spreads in high winds. 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. Much needed rainfall is expected on Monday with additional rainfall possible through Wednesday. This should not be a time to blame and inflame, but to think and act wisely. Sevier County remains Smokies Strong 5 years after wildfires - WBIR.com The report said the fire was an accident and caused around $7 million in damages. 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? He was told there was none/no one. These people both the successful along with the ones who erred and experienced failure, courageously risked being vulnerable in order to help others. January 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm The successes, and the losses, the poor decisions, the mistakes, the error and the failures. Take a look at the Chimney Tops Fire of Nov 14th, 2016 and you really might begin to question what really went wrong here. Suggestion, contact Dolly Parton or representatives of her holdings and give her (them) the emergency phone line to Global Supertankers. Behind the Chimneys is Sugarland Mountain. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the GFD, Gatlinburg Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. We have turned in a claim but still no word on a settlement. Why the Monday morning quarterbacks seems to always get it right, while those in the game make the errors and the scores, winning and losing. Jeanne: I do not disagree with your thought process regarding some of the broad challenges wildland fire mangers have faced in the past thirty some years. 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. As my husband was carrying things to the car at 5:00PM, a white SUV came by. Limbs began to fall. There will be legal repercussions because of incompetence. Bats were roosting in the church rafters and dropping feces onto the pews. I remember a news conference 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. All rights reserved. We must change our minds first and then we must change our actions. 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. As a former FF, their claim that they could have never put it out if they tried from day one is BS. The report said the fire was an accident and caused around $7 million in damages. Anyone who has toured the hillsides where most of the homes that were destroyed would know immediately how difficult evacuations would be. 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. Rockslide on the Spur Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge - wate.com 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. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to stand up. I cannot count how many times my wife or I would find a fire smoldering typically from someone who flipped a lit cigarette and the brush when they were finished. Massive Wildfire Engulfs Tennessee Resort Towns, Kills 3 there is still a nagging question regarding the use of BACKFIRE on the part of the NPS and the Gatlinburg Fires? I looked at the NWS Forecast Discussion and told my sister They should order pre-evacuation before the wind gets strong.. 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. Shortly after that power was lost to the station and data stopped being recorded. I certainly hope the investigation of the totality of fire is not pressured to conclude prematurely. The Incident Management Teams at Tellico, Rock Mountain and Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock fires had dead hemlocks near the trials knocked down (dynamite, cutting, other means theyre still working on it along the AT). Before we got in the car, we each took photos of the approaching fire with our cell phones. Impressive. 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. 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. Even the Gatlinburg Fire Chief had been told on Sunday at 0900 that models had the fire hitting downtown Gatlinburg by Tuesday 1100. High winds were to start soon and rain was 5 hours away as indicated by radar. Rain began falling late Monday night and continued until 6 a.m. Tuesday, totaling 0.78 inch at Indian Grave. Humans lostfire won. If their destination is not lit, they have to land there no later than 30 minutes after sunset. 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? For now there is heartbreak and hindsight on the part of every one now. They were asleep at the wheel. 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. 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? I would suggest that you read over Bills articles on this site regarding NPS releases information about the Chimney Tops Fire 2 and Analysis of wind, vegetation, and air tankers before the fire burned into Gatlinburg. I wish this would turn into the biggest Court case in history. In my eyes, TEMA should have taken control of the situation and ordered evacuations before sunset. GRSM firefighters spotted the new fire as they returned from responding to a report of a vehicle fire. Ive been told by others that they were waiting for the rain to move in based on the forecast and it didnt arrive when they expected so in the meantime they did nothing. Many, if not most, of these incidents leave the confines of the managing agency and sweep out onto lands owned or managed by others who had NO input into the original incident management strategy. The individual was identified as Joe Martin Bates, 54, according to the Sevier County Medical Examiners office. 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. There is a time and a season for prescribed/monitored fire and that time is NOT during an historic drought and fire season in the SE US with numerous ongoing large fires and a very well predicted wind and storm event. But instead great risks were taken through basic inaction and the consequences were disastrous. 'Human caused' Tennessee wildfires kill seven near Dollywood park The earlier fire on the hill was named Chimney Tops hence the name Chimney Tops 2 for the new blaze. The notice went out to people within 10 miles of the fireline. 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. On the evening of the fire, I was monitoring tornadic storms across northern Mississippi because my family were driving to Finding out about the fire has hurt me almost as much as it did the locals. A lot of chainsawing has been going on. About 20 years ago, I hiked to Albright Grove, an old-growth hemlock forest near Greenbrier. It was about 11:30AM when we got to downtown Gatlinburg, where I took photos of the heavy on the Parkway in town. Case in point is our European religious history. It was very low on gas and fully covered with insurance. 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. For the most current information about the Chimney Tops 2 Fire at Gatlinburg, see our articles tagged Chimney 2 Fire. Like hell he did. The fire could have been accidental, or it may have been intentional. I always come back to that groupthink mentality, the ladder of inference, the been there done that mode, the failure/fear to act, and thats how weve always done it thinking; all part of how our unconscious brain works without our conscious intervention and critical thinking skills. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages Someone must have started the fire. Thanks for the correction Bill. I am in my late 60s and have never seen such a drought, or such low stream levels. I have to assume that the city of Gatlinburg felt that since my road was county property that I was on my own. Unfortunately its the home owners that are taking the hit and I think it should be them. The two juveniles who set a fire are not alone in this. At that time their were no burn permits or building permit requirements either. Hemlocks standout on aerial photos because the limbs grow in a spiral pattern around the tree. I guess they are helping the people they always help and the rest of us are out of luck. China Bazaar, Pucker's Sports Grill, Gifts of . Im surprised Cherokee Orchard Rd. Sorry to hear that you lost your house, but you followed your wits which kept you from getting stuck there by downed trees over the road. Thank you for your kind words and concern about our loss. The power of nature is awesome and often far beyond our ability to predict and react to in a timely manner. 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 For example politicians far away from the event make decisions regarding funding, resources and operations. I am aware that in this area of the Eastern Appalachians, there are many retired firefighters and emergency personnel who would probably be willing partners in helping other regional professionals and volunteers in meeting the opportunities presented by a changing world. 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. One good place, James, to view an area after a devastating wildfire is adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway in and around the 418 milepost-the Graveyard Fields/ Shining Rock Wilderness areas. 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! The deaths in this incident can be attributed to being trapped and forced to shelter in place. In a time in which the NPS and all other government agencies are under attack and certain factions are seeking to replace all our government agencies with private for profit industry I would not ignore the possibility of anything. She replied, Mrs. They were told No, we have it under control.. Were here to rally and support those people until they can get back up on their feet, said Laura Rippetoe of the Gatlinburg Inn. If one is growing by experience you keep them moving forward as we all benefit from their learning and experience. Oddly, some folks that posted photos of the fire of the 23rd in its early stages have either pulled the blogs or the material cannot be accessed. Be sure to bring valid forms of identification showing name and address of residence or business inside Gatlinburg. I was afraid to go into Park with boys. Late Monday afternoon the Gatlinburg Fire Department began informing some residents of a voluntary evacuation. The Bob Stanton that has been commenting on this thread is NOT the former director of the NPS. If I had even been in the bathroom or downstairs I wouldve died . And not only they had time to evacuate but I called 911 Monday night on Nov. 28 2016 and ask if there was any evacuation orders for Gatlinburg and was told By The 911 operator no not at this time Later found out the whole place was on fire at the same time I called 911 ( WHY ) was I lied to ? 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. There could be falling trees. Thats totally untrue. 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. Some of the seemingly inexplicable burn patterns are due to the wind driven nature. The man at the Forestry base told him the winds were predicted to keep getting stronger and to be careful of falling limbs. wasnt blocked off since Mynatt Park was told to evacuate at 5:17. The Thomas Divide Complex Fire comprises two wildfires the 140-acre Stone Pile Fire and the Cooper Creek Fire, which is estimated to be 170 acres. They had identifiedon a map a 410-acre fire management area which, depending on weather conditions, may allow for further fire growth. Jeannine, what an awesome, in-depth and thoughtful response.