It certainly should be addressed, by We, the People. Not because I am a teller of fortune. Great job on this website, it is very informative and I recommend it to everyone in the business. It is very hard and slow to navigate through laurel stands and the thick Tennesee Barbed Wire Briar patches. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - One person died and another was injured in a large fire in downtown Gatlinburg Sunday. If Im not mistaken, there is a Bob Stanton that was a former NPS Director. What caused the fire in the Smoky Mountains? The contractor who had been working outside on the house left as it got dark early because of the smoke. It is a truism that many people want all the benefits of government, but dont want to pay for them. The news media started out just like the city news conference people leading people to believe the fire that burned everything occurred on November 28th, not true. One only has to imagine a single downed power line starting a structure fire at the same time the wildfire was approaching to understand how the great loss of property and life actually happened. The 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, also known as the Gatlinburg wildfires, [1] were a complex of wildfires which began in late November 2016. Massive Wildfire Engulfs Tennessee Resort Towns, Kills 3 Will the Firefighter Safety crutch of the last twenty plus years be the political linchpin to justify fire management strategy and tactics employed by the GSNP? I love the mountains, but can I feel safe again? Lets just live in denial, honor the government no matter what; and allow history to repeat itself with numerous secular and religious dictators. I certainly agree there are definitely consequences for our actions, for some more than others. The Cove Mountain weather station is 8 miles northwest of the origin of the Chimney Tops 2 Fire, 5 miles west of downtown Gatlinburg, and 3 miles west of the last known western edge of the fire. Not clouding the issues with the intent to take down a person. It is unfortunate that sometimes a few seek to blame someone so quickly that they miss the opportunity to really get to the root of the causes for those issues in the first place. Firefighting aircraft were not used until helicopters dropped water on the fire Sunday afternoon, November 27 four days after it started. 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. Very well said Tommy. The coordination and communication of the Incident Management teams is impressive. What Caused The Gatlinburg Fire - BikeHike Corker and Alexander know what would happen if they tried to interfere with a Federal prosecution! On-the-ground fire suppression activity took place Monday when firefighters took defensive action to protect structures at a nearby GRSM picnic area. The day after the fire was reported 0.12 inch of rain was recorded at the official weather station recognized by the NWS, which may have made the managers of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) feel a little better about this new fire. Tough questions like, Why did it take so long for community leaders to activate burn bans in spite of the extreme drought conditions, fuel loads, number of arson fires and the regional outbreak of fires, the social nature of this crime, and other related events. Lose their jobs over this? I believe God was speaking to me early in the day on 28th and I am grateful for the ability He blessed me with to get out of Gatlinburg early.. Im sure there will be lots of finger pointing, name calling pushing for blame and then legal actions. But the last one, issued at 7 a.m. EST on Sunday by Eric Holweg, did predict strong winds. Perhaps a simple thing like calling for a Voluntary Evacuation from Noon on that day could have made the danger more obvious in light of the forecast for storm warnings with high winds for the afternoon and overnight. 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. When maintenance employees with GRSM drove past the Chimney Tops 2 Fire early Mondaymorning they saw that the intensity and rate of spread of the fire had increased dramatically. It upset a lot of locals, but many lauded it. ), lack of knowledge of alternative communication systems (the Motorola area wide emergency radio system installed last year). Holding the responsible people accountable is the only course of action that honors what was lost. However, to expect her to honor the NPS is inappropriate considering reality and her circumstances. Frederick County, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of Along with other Park issues like un-managed timber (very limited burns, mostly fields, not forested areas), we concluded the saying demolition by neglect. If I had even been in the bathroom or downstairs I wouldve died . This eventually will affect us all at some point in time, as we too may one day find ourselves faced with similar circumstance. Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces, after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. 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. The Knox News timeline alone has enough info for several indictments. Stantons car was full of gas and only has liability insurance. Lets just be careful about who they are in our criticism. Officials said three people. 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. the downtown fire on Oct. 9 that killed one person and injured another. I left early to get boys and filled Stantons old Subaru Outback up with gas. Also, for the last several decades, NPS policies have allowed these excessive fuels to build. The excellent Park folks seemed to just monitor it, and it resolved itself. So property owners are left to deal with everything and if we had the power we would have done something like worrying the crap out of all of them until action was taken. Period. The helicopter worked until it had to refuel and then two other Type 1 helicopters took its placeuntil dark. The report said the fire was an accident and caused around $7 million in damages. That said I have been an avid backpack or in hiker who has done probably every trail in the Smokies many times over. There are other potential hazards that make unplanned evacuations a danger in that area. They just sat back and watched it burn. All downtown sidewalks reopened as permanent fencing around the building was installed by the property owner following the fire. Money. Excellent report Dr. Gabbert. Despite that, officials now say that the Gatlinburg fire began in the park and was. You can only manage one of those. His parents died in the fire in Gatlinburg . Early in the afternoon we began to see large crewcab pickup trucks driving past our home. The extremely dry conditions in the area, though, should have raised the concern level. I had heard that many of the stumps and rotted out trees had become abnormally dry because of the drought. They are having a press conference this afternoon so perhaps there will be more transparency. The Chimney Tops Trail led from the highway to the top of the hill. The fire did not get up the valley to the Alum Cave Parking Lot, and LeConte Lodge is fine. Without sufficient safe zones being created in advance each road was easily blocked either by fire or debris. The power of nature is awesome and often far beyond our ability to predict and react to in a timely manner. Asked if I knew if there were any other people down in that area. 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. We drove west down the parkway. There are zones that are simply are impenetrable by cellular rays and even satellite has issues. Bats were roosting in the church rafters and dropping feces onto the pews. It is a sad state of affairs, the loss of life was quite avoidable. 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. 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). Below is the stateof access to the fire area, as reported by the IMT: The National Park is closed from the Gatlinburg Entrance to Smokemont near Oconaluftee (US 441, Newfound Gap) and Little River Road from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Townsend. The high winds were forecasted on the 25th, 2016. I spent two weeks in the area after the fire to inspect my property and ascertain where my wife and I would go from there. People who live in forested areas need to be aware of fire danger. If one is growing by experience you keep them moving forward as we all benefit from their learning and experience. Second, why not attempt water drops and fire retardant despite their reasoning it wouldnt do any good. Lots of fires getting controlled, crews pulling off and the new fuel falling and all back ablaze. Branson is built into the mountainous forests of south-central Missouri, is a resort town, and a retirement community and entertainment venue. What caused the Gatlinburg wildfire? - al.com While my husband tried to rake the leaves away more than once, they blew right back in. There are a lot of excellent experienced fire management staff working for the Park Service. 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. Compare the events to their fire management manual and contradictions are present. Birmingham City have had to close their training ground after a fire caused damage on Friday morning. For the availability of resources our local volunteer departments are doing a good job, but things are changing and we need to get out of the boxes we are in, and start critical thinking and creatively to meet the challenges of the future because they are rapidly descending upon us whether we like it or not. Some of those GSMNP personnel were trained out west and know how fast a wildfire spreads in high winds. The GSMNP PR person announced at 2:02 pm that fires were expected to grow over the next 8 hours with wind gust of 85 mph. Gatlinburg fire: Body found in blaze rubble, cause of fire under This is a developing story. Our neighbors 3 doors down were outside near their car. A similar fire occurred on English Mountain. Hire an independent fire behavior consultant to assist in PLANNING and timely response if conditions appear to be coming into (fire) alignment. 'Human caused' Tennessee wildfires kill seven near Dollywood park On Friday, Gatlinburg city officials released a report detailing the downtown fire on Oct. 9. I am astounded at the amount of information, expertise, warning, and awareness of imminent danger was present and available in this situation. How many sorties could those planes do in an single day even if they had been deployed on Even Friday?? If the superintendent of the Park Service couldnt see what the consequence could be then he was not qualified for the job and after reading his BIO he was never qualified and this is what we get. I understand the excellent point made in the article that history in the Smokies area would expect less of a problem than out West. The fire ballooned to more than 17,000 acres when winds stronger than 80 miles per hour carried the fire down the mountain and through Gatlinburg and parts of Pigeon Forge Nov. 28. Even life-long locals said they had never seen rhododendren wither up before. I told him there wasnt when I got there at 5 oclock but I could not even see driveways on the way up. An in depth investigation should be launched and the (ir)responsible parties identified. The forecasts from the 24th through the 26th did not predict the extreme weather that began Monday, November 28. He asked them how or who we could contact to get emergency information. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge wildfire evacuation information - WJBF This is how we all get better at what we do and are. My prayers are with all of you. Are county officials telling people about the Code Red Alert System? We need to hold, that experience though often shared, does not fit into every mold, because in the real world though some laws are universal, there is always changing variable and situations are never really exactly the same. 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. Instead simply took pictures on their phone, 3. How many have died in the gatlinburg forest fire? - JacAnswers Maybe within the next year, well see some kind of progress come together, said Neddo. 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. Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg from the intersection at Traffic Light No. And the list goes on. 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 . Millions of dollars will be spent recovering and mitigating the after effects of this human caused and exasperated wildfire. The whole thing is unconscionable to me. Council will utilize the 100s of wildfire experts testimony that the forresty service and local fire chief should have thrown everything they had at the Chimney 2 blaze the day it happened and everyone and every resource they could use from out of state that could get there within 24 hours. Only 0.05 inch fell at the Indian Grave Remote Automatic Weather Station 18 miles west of the fire. However, I still wonder why there has been no word from the governor about the post-fire review team he promised. The public cannot sit on their hands and expect anything to change. 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. Im not saying GRSM made the right or wrong decision, there is just a lot more involved then saying they didnt suppress it promptly. Collaboration, open thinking and creativeness are key. The use of smokejumpers could be part of the plan. Who can or will hold them accountable for their part in this tragedy? I fully understand the financial difficulties of the NPS and with firefighters abroad. When two juveniles were arrested on December 7 and charged with aggravated arson, many people assumed they had the answer. The fire burned 38,000 acres of state managed conservation areas and private timber lands. Tom, I want to express to you how sorry I am to hear about the loss of your cabin, what you went through escaping the fire, what you have gone through since the fire and what you are facing. It is no wonder that the people do not trust Government. Published: Nov. 30, 2016, 8:41 p.m. Dry conditions and high winds caused a wildfire on Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains to spread quickly . 6 to the intersection at Reagen Drive reopened Monday afternoon after being closed Sunday morning, according to a release. Thank all of you. 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. Bob and Stanton snuck around back roads and made it in a few days earlier than most and found what we were fearing. 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! I believe someone else may have mentioned this in other Wildfire Today article/comments? Too often the only voice that is heard in our society is money and the more one has the more they are heard. Great info/synopsis of the Gatlinburg/Sevier county wildfires. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. There isn't one specific cause behind the fires, Boyd said. Fires in the Great. It is to be considered, but verified by other means. I felt like people had been robbed of the vital information they needed to make the decisions they needed to be safe. I turned on tv to see if there were warnings of any sort. Sunday, four days after the fire started, was the first time that any firefighting aircraft were used on the fire, Ms. Schroer said. The one picture showing a PVC clean-out with charring on it is a very good example of a very fast, hot torch of flame blasting a relatively small area. Visited Gatlinburg for the first time in Oct 2016. I was afraid to go into Park with boys. The NPS protected themselves and other special interest groups as well. Triage of resource needs versus values at risk, firefighter safety, resource values and political realities all come into play. Yes, good points Jody. Hemlocks were mentioned in a number of daily updates on Inciweb because they are basically standing roman candles thanks to the spiral of limbs.