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What started Gatlinburg fire?
The wildfire was determined to be human-caused and under the investigation of the National Park Service, ATF, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Two juveniles have been arrested for Aggravated Arson in connection with the fire.
How many died in Gatlinburg fire?
The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. GATLINBURG, Tenn. — The Gatlinburg Fire Department confirmed one person died in a massive fire that broke out at a block of businesses along the Parkway on Sunday.
What caused the fire in Gatlinburg TN 2022?
What caused the Gatlinburg fire of Oct. 2022? The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Gatlinburg Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Officials have been publicly adamant that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
How long did the Gatlinburg fires last?
More than 11,000 acres were burned inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; more than 17,000 acres were burned throughout the path of the fire. It wasn't until Dec. 13, 21 days after the fire started that the Sevier County Mayor announced that all fires in the city and the park were extinguished.
What happened to the kids that started the Smokey Mountain fire?
Two boys were arrested, but charges were later dropped When two juveniles were arrested on December 7 and charged with aggravated arson, many people assumed they had the answer. However, by the time those charges were dropped six months later, many had lost focus on the fire.
Did Dollywood burn down?
— Dolly Parton's Pigeon Forge Dollywood theme park was spared in the wildfires ravaging East Tennessee, but Parton says she is bereft about the destruction suffered by others in the Great Smoky Mountains.
What businesses burned Gatlinburg?
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.
What restaurant burned in Gatlinburg?
Pictures indicate the fire broke out next to Cafe420 and the walkway of Towne Center Plaza. The private business owner of the damaged structure has a contractor to demolish the damaged portion of the building, according to Butler.
Who started the Gatlinburg forest fire?
One of the largest wildfires was the Chimney Tops 2 Fire, which burned more than 10,000 acres, and closed the Chimney Tops Trail....2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires.2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires Part of the Southeastern U.S. wildfiresNon-fatal injuriesUnknownPerpetrator(s)Two juveniles charged with aggravated arson.11 more rows
Is Gatlinburg rebuilt after the fire?
A few restaurants in the Gatlinburg area, like the Alamo, were a total loss and have been rebuilt and several new attractions have moved into town, like the Gatlinburg Sky Bridge and Anakeesta.
Was Cades Cove affected by the fire?
The Townsend entrance to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened to visitors Thursday, Blount County officials said, although many facilities and trails in the park remained closed after a devastating wildfire swept through the area this week.
Did Ripley's Aquarium burn down?
As of midnight Tuesday, Ryan DeSear, General Manager of the aquarium, told 10News that the building was still standing, that all workers were evacuated, but he is very concerned about the 10,518 animals left behind.
Who died in the 2016 Gatlinburg fire?
Three victims died together - Constance Reed, 34, and her two daughters, Chloe, 12, and Lily, 9. Mother and daughters had run from their home in the Chalet Village community after they watched a neighbor's house burst into flame. Authorities recovered their remains near a home not far away on Wiley Oakley Road.
How many people died in the Smoky Mountain wildfires?
142016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires Part of the Southeastern U.S. wildfiresBuildings destroyed2,460 destroyedDeaths14Non-fatal injuriesUnknownPerpetrator(s)Two juveniles charged with aggravated arson.9 more rows
How many people died in the Smokey Mountain fire?
In all, 14 people died and more than 2,000 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed when a wildfire that began in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park spread to Gatlinburg and surrounding neighborhoods in Sevier County in November 2016.
How many acres was the fire in Gatlinburg?
GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Update (4:30 a.m.): The city of Gatlinburg said it has lifted its mandatory evacuation in the areas of Ownby Hills and Hidden Hills after crews responded to a 1.5-acre brush fire.
Who was the mayor of Gatlinburg after the fires?
Soon after the fires were contained, Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Warner implored vacationers "If you really want to do something for Gatlinburg, come back and visit us."
How many people died in the Tennessee fires?
Some of the towns most impacted were Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, both near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The fires claimed at least 14 lives, injured 190, and is one of the largest natural disasters in the history of Tennessee. By December 12, the fires had burned more than 10,000 acres (15 square miles) inside the national park, ...
Why did the hydrants in Gatlinburg go dry?
Because of power outages to some pumping stations on November 28 and because other pumping stations burned, hydrants quickly went dry on November 28, and Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller first asked for help from all of Sevier County and later from the entire state. Damage from the fires also prevented firefighters from communicating with each other through cell phones as the radio system became overloaded. Gatlinburg's emergency operations center phone system went down when it lost power. Even the 911 system could not handle all the calls it received, and calls intended for Sevier County went to Putnam County instead.
How many acres were burned in the Great Smoky Mountains?
One of the largest wildfires was the Chimney Tops 2 Fire, which burned more than 10,000 acres, and closed the Chimney Tops Trail. The Great Smoky Mountains wildfires were the deadliest wildfires in the eastern U.S. since the Great Fires of 1947, which killed 16 people in Maine.
What happened to the Great Smoky Mountains?
On May 24, 2018, a federal lawsuit was filed against the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on behalf of victims seeking damages for the failure to stop the Chimney Tops 2 fire before it left the park. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer ruled September 8, 2020 that the National Park Service failed in its efforts to warn people in the area about the fires, meaning the park service can be held financially responsible and making a jury trial possible.
How many acres were burned in the fires in the National Park?
By December 12, the fires had burned more than 10,000 acres (15 square miles) inside the national park, and 6,000 acres in other parts of the area. At least 14,000 area residents and tourists were forced to evacuate, while over 2,000 buildings were damaged and/or destroyed.
When was the Chinook fire?
The Chimney Tops 2 Fire was originally reported on November 23, 2016. No suppression activities were initiated and on November 24, 2016 park fire officials delineated containment boundary made of natural features which were hoped to contain the fire. On November 27, while the fire was still inside the containment boundary, three Chinook helicopters dumped water on the fire in an effort to mitigate its spread. Humidity values for this day dropped to as low as 17 percent during a period of "Exceptional" drought. A National Weather Service report issued on Sunday predicted wind gusts up to 40 mph the following day.
Five days of flame: Prologue
This is the prologue to our four-part series, Five days of flames – The Gatlinburg fire, which begins Thanksgiving day.
About our reporting
Fourteen people died in the Gatlinburg fire, and more than 2,500 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. This story relied on interviews by News Sentinel staff that began the night of the fire and have continued in the year since, as well as hundreds of hours of E-911 recordings and thousands of pages of public records.
Overview
The 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, also known as the Gatlinburg wildfires, were a complex of wildfires which began in late November 2016. Some of the towns most impacted were Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, both near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The fires claimed at least 14 lives, injured 190, and is one of the largest natural disasters in the history of Tennessee.
Progression
The Chimney Tops 2 Fire was originally reported on November 23, 2016. No suppression activities were initiated and on November 24, 2016, park fire officials delineated containment boundary made of natural features which were hoped to contain the fire. On November 27, while the fire was still inside the containment boundary, three Chinook helicopters dumped water on the fire in an effort to mitigate its spread. Humidity values for this day dropped to as low as 17 percent dur…
Investigation and arrests
Two unnamed juveniles were initially charged with aggravated arson in connection to the fires; however, charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence as well as language in an agreement between the State of Tennessee and the Department of the Interior which excluded state jurisdiction from prosecuting criminal activities that occurred entirely within the park. Throughout the course of the investigation which revealed that many of the area fires were likely caused by …
Reactions
President Barack Obama ordered federal disaster relief funds to go to the hard hit area of Sevier County in response to the vast devastation.
President-elect Donald Trump tweeted: "My thoughts and prayers are with the great people of Tennessee during these terrible wildfires. Stay safe!" But later, the federal government worked to dismiss lawsuits looking to hold the Federal Parks responsible for failure to contain the fires in t…
Telethons
A telethon, benefiting fire victims, was held December 9, in Nashville. The event featured country music artists such as Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, John Rich, John Oates, and Kristian Bush, and Dolly Parton. $9 million were raised.
Parton hosted another telethon Tuesday, December 13, also in Nashville. All of the proceeds raised went to help those who lost their homes in the wildfires. Her fund, the "My People Fund", p…
Aftermath
Soon after the fires were contained, Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Warner implored vacationers "If you really want to do something for Gatlinburg, come back and visit us."
Stefanie Benjamin, Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Tennessee noted that despite negative press from the fire, the region "was able to recuperate fairly quickly."
The impact of the "My People Fund"'s financial relief, as well as the overall impacts of the disast…
See also
• 2016 Southeastern United States wildfires
• Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests
• Burned area emergency response
• English Mountain, also in the Great Smoky Mountains and scene of significant wildfires in April 2016