who caused the gatlinburg fires? who caused the gatlinburg fires?

I knew high winds were predicted for Gatlinburg by watching the weather channel. We all contribute to this phenomenon if not intentionally but unintentionally, simply by the design of our brains! 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. I look forward to seeing the report when it comes out. Also, for the last several decades, NPS policies have allowed these excessive fuels to build. 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. We had loaded dog and Abram in car, out of smoke and told them to stay put. (The fire was in eastern Tennessee near the North Carolina border.). 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. Resources = $$$=taxes. Suffice it to say betting against individual as well as class-action instruments being utilized against local and federal officials would be as unlikely as betting that the sun wont rise tomorrow. I am trying to learn everything I can and hope to find an avenue to serve in this cause in some small way as most of you have and are serving in major, ways, risking your lives. The fire, which was reported at 6:39 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of Parkway, caused extensive damage to a block of businesses, the city's spokesperson said. 6 to the intersection at Reagen Drive reopened Monday afternoon after being closed Sunday morning, according to a release. However, when adequate risk analysis, proactive contingency planning and decision making, real time fire behavior simulations predicting possible disastrous outcomes, humans may have a much better chance of containing, or controlling, or herding, or managing or all-out suppressing an unwanted or unplanned ignition. Whomever is in charge locally for the NPS should also be summarily fired. Easy for many of you to sit back and Monday morning quarterback when you dont have skin in the game as I did. They got info from NPS about the fire spreading. Anticipating the fire season, firefighting resources (people and equipment) were brought in from around the Southeast and other parts of the country. Emotions do get the best of us. Whatever happened to good old common sense decisions considering the drought, excessive fuels, and weather! There may be some validity in the DA doing that, but it sure calls their integrity into question. Thank you for your kind words and concern about our loss. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. Holding the responsible people accountable is the only course of action that honors what was lost. 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. This fire burned for almost a week, before it exploded into Gatlinburg. The wildfires caused millions of dollars in damage. TEMA had the power and authority, yet did nothing until Hell was at their door. During fire suppression efforts, crews found one person dead inside the structure. Even though I am located adjacent to the National Forest lands on 3 sides, I cannot invite them onto my property to help me lessen the fuel load proximal to my home. At 10AM we drove to Sevierville to buy more materials (to eventually add to the bonfire). There is simply too much BS. I got out of the car and walked up to the side of the pickup truck. Many fire managers in that situation would immediately attack emerging fires very aggressively with overwhelming force, that is, many firefighters on the ground assisted by numerous aircraft dropping water or fire retardant. By NPS rules a watch should have been kept on the fire overnight Sunday, but such did not happen. On-the-ground fire suppression activity took place Monday when firefighters took defensive action to protect structures at a nearby GRSM picnic area. 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. I am glad so many are taking a look at this situation, and hopefully never loosing sight of the intention to improvement and a better way. They strive to their utmost and have a true passion working in GSMNP. 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. These breaks downs undoubtedly show shortcomings by officials. 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. What Caused the Gatlinburg Fire of 2016? Here's the Real Story Thanksgiving weekend is one of the 4 busiest weekends for Gatlinburg and the National Park. I told him we would come pick him up in his car. Wildfire Today covered engines being shipped from CA. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to stand up. Other than the way the police were able to evacuate 4,000 people from Gatlinburg with little notice on Monday evening, everyone else involved did a very poor job. they may be using too wide a brush to place blame. What is these adults had taken immediate action to correct and intervene in this unsafe behavior by children. There will be no access to Wiley Oakley or Westgate from the Spur. One question I have not seen asked is why any adult would have witnessed children playing with matches and lighting fires especially under the obvious conditions in this situation and 1. not taken immediate action 2. 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. It was about 11:30AM when we got to downtown Gatlinburg, where I took photos of the heavy on the Parkway in town. Thank you for the timeline and the opportunity for comments. Mr. Cash cant order an evac, but he could have made a recommendation. Great info/synopsis of the Gatlinburg/Sevier county wildfires. All of the big trees were gone (although younger trees had been treated and saved). We were there on Thanksgiving week-end. I loved the area, the town, homes, everything. 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. 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. 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 . What is unconstitutional here is that if this first fire of the 14th is under investigation, then certain parties have committed obstruction of justice. We left Monday the 28th around 10:30 A.M. we could smell smoke but our home was fine and so was all of the rest of them in Chalet Village North. I saw Wyoming and Colorado engines being demobalized after containment. I would hope that we would fund the National Park Service much better so that cost-cutting is not so high on their priorities. 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. is TEMA didnt have the training. He asked them how or who we could contact to get emergency information. Hemlocks standout on aerial photos because the limbs grow in a spiral pattern around the tree. Damage was estimated at more than $500 million, according to Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters. This data from Indian Grave was not too far offthe forecast issued the day before. Yes government at all levels needs to be held accountable; otherwise we regress back into the Dark Ages. 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! They learned. Thank-you Bill for your through and in depth analysis of this wildfires chain-of events. None of our fires escaped, in part because we had some very smart, very experienced people in key positions. But those heroes should have never been in that situation in the first place. God doesnt cut financial budgets. The Gatlinburg fire chief should be FIRED. Suddenly a fire truck from Harriman came careening around the corner and headed up Turkey Nest Road. One person was found dead in the rubble of a fire that broke out in downtown Gatlinburg early Sunday morning. wasnt blocked off since Mynatt Park was told to evacuate at 5:17. I began picking up news stories of the fire in Gatlinburg from as the storm rolled east. Property owners still have the rights to protect their property. Regardless, the appropriate aerial assault should continue. China Bazaar, Puckers Sports Grill, Gifts of Gatlinburg, and Caf 420 were all deemed a complete loss. Thanksfully ATF agents helped TN Bureau of Investigation put their full resources at hand and arrested to two teenage idiots that started the fire. Were these simply copy cat arsonists, arsonists with the most ridiculous stories to offer for why they lit these fires, or were they just cover-ups for something more sinister? Maybe within the next year, well see some kind of progress come together, said Neddo. On the map below, the fire is the small dot in the center surrounded by the yellow line. By definition, prescribed burning is described as fire applied in a knowledgeable manner to forest and grassland fuels on a specific land area under selected weather conditions to accomplish predetermined, well-defined management objectives, pg 2, http://www.southernfireexchange.org/etc/ITPFISE.pdf. Teddy Roosevelt, who as you may know, was instrumental in establishing our national parks. All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect. The actual clifts are small and easily avoided. At any rate, I have not heard any knowledgeable person say acquiring resources during those first five days was a major difficulty. Intention is important, even in a court of law, intention ways heavily on the sentencing. With that said: were NPS officials aggressive enough in seriously emphasizing to Gatlinburg officials to start preparing for mandatory evacuations? You are reading this like most folks with common sense and a little analytical process, being all the data as you stated isnt on the table. My questions are: what were the wind speeds when NPS crews ignited these backfires to protect NPS structures; and if they ignited fire on the 28th when the winds were getting stronger and stronger, would the potential exist for backfire embers to get out of control? They didnt for one reason in my humble opinion: $$$ I can tell you that within the week prior to this fire in the Greenbriar section of the GSMNP, I hiked on trails rustling through leaf litter that came up to my mid shins. I have a close friend on IMT in southern CO so have some familiarity with the process. I get free speech, but if I yelled fire in a crowded theater when there was none and it contributed to death and injury I too would be held liable; my speech would not be protected! Gatlinburg fire 10/9/2022: One body found after Parkway blaze 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. 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. The remains of a business in Gatlinburg, Tenn., smolder on Nov. 29, after a devastating wildfire damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 buildings and killed at least 14 people. 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. As we reached the Parkway, everything was deserted. January 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm It would appear that in the end it comes down to lack of adequate training, lack of adequate rehearsals (shouldnt they have known how to get messages out to the public via cell phone? 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. I hounded the Knox News editor for a followup article around Dec. 19. LeConte is going to be fine. By the way, I havent seen any local media covering much for the victims since the coverage with Jerry and the pursuit of compensation. I later learned that Sevier County pays for an emergency notification system called Code Red Alert. As I learned in the first 12 hours what took place there, I realized that there was almost no preparation for the risk of a fire, on any I believe that many, many people are alive now because they did use common sense but some of the people who died, were victims of circumstances that they should never have faced if their public officials had been acting solely on their responsibility, first and foremost, and perhaps only, to protect and serve. People died and lost so much and that is absolutely tragic! So my husband called the Gatlinburg policy department with the same questions and got the same answers. Gatlinburg is in Sevier County. We could see the smoke. Person killed in downtown Gatlinburg fire identified Lets see what reviews done by people with expertise in wildland fire management come up with. Second, why not attempt water drops and fire retardant despite their reasoning it wouldnt do any good. That didnt happen here. In response to Jeanne in regard to Kelly Morgans comments: It is the duty of the American people to honor and respect and obey the Laws of the Land unless government becomes a dictatorship to basic rights and freedoms. Perhaps all the firefighters prior experience was giving them mental slides that were no longer valid given the conditions. Period. 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. One other consideration relevant to some of the previous comments about the aggressiveness or lack thereof in dealing with the fire in the first few days is the context of other ongoing wildfires. It was as if time had passed with no motivational disaster to spur this awareness, at least not in my local community. That is when it began moving rapidly toward Gatlinburg. All rights reserved. Now I am tasked with trying to motivate and coordinate the local fire departments much of who are volunteer, the state and national forest professionals to work with me and the community. Lets look in the mirror before we are too quick to blame someone else. Im sorry but that initial fire management at the outset was atrocious. Stanton wanted to go but I was afraid to for several reasons. A couple of weeks after hearing no hardcore news from Knox News, I wrote the editor asking if the News was still doing hardcore investigation of the fire. 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. Before we got in the car, we each took photos of the approaching fire with our cell phones. Many citizens whom I spoke with had never heard the terms red flag alert and in absence of the term, were not aware of the situations that would lead to such a designation or where to turn to find information on wildfires. Death toll rises to 13 in Tennessee wildfires as grim search for From 7 p.m. until midnight sustained winds were at 13 to 17 mph with gusts from 34 to 49. I have a photo I took from the Walmart parking lot looking south that shows how smoky it was in Pigeon Forge. A temporary evacuation refuge with limited services is located at Max Hasse Community Park . The 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, also known as the Gatlinburg wildfires, [1] were a complex of wildfires which began in late November 2016. But the last one, issued at 7 a.m. EST on Sunday by Eric Holweg, did predict strong winds. I have here a firsthand account of how a homeowner, who lost her house, lived through the days before the fire and through the fire. But very little if any fire suppression activity occurred until Monday, November 28. I turned on tv to see if there were warnings of any sort. People lost their lives and homes because no warnings!!! 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 . It certainly should be addressed, by We, the People. 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. 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. They didnt want CNN down there declaring their tourist town a death trap. Contingency plans for how to evacuate the entire town, regardless of the specific hazard, were not well thought out. As my husband was carrying things to the car at 5:00PM, a white SUV came by. Are Gatlinburg fires common? A list of big fires in the area [2022] You can only manage one of those. China Bazaar, Puckers Sports Bar, Cafe 420,. 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. The earlier fire on the hill was named Chimney Tops hence the name Chimney Tops 2 for the new blaze. However, by the time a federal judge dropped the charges six months later, some had lost focus on the fire. A true lackadaisical response. People that I know said that not implementing fire suppression is exactly what they should have done, so we can agree to disagree. I hope they can train more local governments how to handle big wildfire situations. 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. I may be alone in thinking that, but I do think the Feds would stand up to local influence. NPS manager Cassius Cash said the NPS didnt have the authority to order an evacuation (how about recommending a pre-evacuation status so the public was ready to evacuate if needed?). Thanks Henry. Increasing cloudiness and strong southerly winds on Monday ahead of the next storm system. 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. The report said the fire was an accident and caused around $7 million in damages. If it was felt that people on this fire were at risk then dont staff the fire. This eventually will affect us all at some point in time, as we too may one day find ourselves faced with similar circumstance. That mall is also rigidly enforced. After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire. I told him my home was on fire and he said they were evacuating everyone,then. 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. Thus, private, State, or other agencies get left holding the bag, as it were. I think thats pretty cut and dry and yes its their fault that they didnt at least try and do something. Fire crews were dispatched to a structure fire around 6:30. When I arrived in Branson at the hotel I was close to a fire exit, and frankly forgot about my nightmare. She said I dont think its necessary for you to leave home with children and dog at this point. What makes one golden and one not? We applied for the Dollywood assistance and FEMA and can get neither, Im not sure who they are helping but for us and our neighbors we arent getting anything. Take a look at the Chimney Tops Fire of Nov 14th, 2016 and you really might begin to question what really went wrong here. There are many many folks who even if cell service were functional could not afford it. Authorities have not identified the victim or . We are facing some very large problems around our globe and in our own home communities, that will require some out of the box thinking and collaboration, some tough questions, and a lot of personal accountability review and growth. Was the fire that inaccessible on foot? There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. My main purpose in commenting was to differentiate between a monitored wildfire and prescribed fire. 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. I guess they must think when you have to go up there to handle this mess they caused that you dont need lodging, food or gas to get 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??? The coolness and the moisture were gone. Numerous photos show a dramatic increase in smoke in the downtown area between 5 and 5:30 pm. But outright blame? One thing I have learned is that the news media, especially in todays world is just as skilled and often benefits from pushing their own agendas as well. The adelgid apparently needs the rougher bark of older trees to climb up the trunk to the greenery on which they feed. At 3:00PM I convinced my husband to call the Gatlinburg Fire Dept. Deciding to keep air resources in reserve for initial attack on new starts rather than wash the fire off chimney tops was a good decision. 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. Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire The action taken by firefighters on Monday was defensive, to protect threatened structures at a nearby National Park Service picnic ground. Who can or will hold them accountable for their part in this tragedy? The city and the county has always been about one thing. There are zones that are simply are impenetrable by cellular rays and even satellite has issues. Some of those businesses told WVLT News they have a long road ahead as they wait on insurance adjustors to calculate their losses. On the night before I left for Branson, I had terrible nightmares of being caught in a forest fire in Branson. I wish the Feds had kept the case instead of handing it off to the local DA. Who ever was in charge should loose their job!!! I wonder why? 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? The leadership tetrahedron if you will, the area where all the parts come together based on the past, the current, the potential and the possible. It was about this time that we noticed the wind beginning to get stronger. Steve Brueck of DaculaWeather.com suppied us with Local Storm Report Informationfrom the National Weather Service that includes wind gust speeds in the general area. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the GFD, Gatlinburg Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He wanted us to pack and leave. The fire on Sunday caused extensive damage to a block of . I can hear it now, hasnt the NPS learned anything in the past 10-20 yrs? In addition, officials confirmed that a firefighter was transported to the hospital with minor injuries from the fire but has since been released. 100-acre brush fire causes evacuations in Collier County 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. There could be traffic jams. Its hard to see. The Gatlinburg fire that killed 14 people was started by two teenagers dropping lit matches onto the ground along Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, sources close to the investigation told the Knoxville News Sentinel. So who would you blame the people that died, wildlife and homeowners. GFD officials examined the scene and found a body, later identified as Joe Martin Bates, in Suite 4. 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. They knew the high winds were coming days ahead of that Monday. This fire was supposedly set On November 23rd, we were hiking there on November 25th, they had the trail blocked off closer to the top of the Chimneys 2, however we made pictures of the fire and it and the picture shows the smoke going straight up in the air, no one was there and it didnt look like they had done anything to contain it. "We've had five (fatalities) really close together and this is more than we normally have by this time of year," Boyd said. Bob headed our way. Also, lots of hills in the area washed to bedrock by cloud burst and slides. We strive to use real facts, not alternative facts, on Wildfire Today.