This should be placed firmly on the shoulders of the Park Service, Cassius Cash, Superintendent and the City and County. I stopped him and said, Stanton, weve got to calm down and go slowly getting out of here so that we dont scare Abram and so that we can drive safely. Rain began falling late Monday night and continued until 6 a.m. Tuesday, totaling 0.78 inch at Indian Grave. Classic Swiss Cheese risk management fire management failurehave we as a profession learned anything since South Canyon, Yarnell and now Chimney Top 2? Whatever happened to good old common sense decisions considering the drought, excessive fuels, and weather! We would best not be blind until that time is upon us, as then it will be too late. For now there is heartbreak and hindsight on the part of every one now. 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. etc. Mitchell, Mt. My husband stopped the car and the two men inside identified themselves as city water department employees. So my husband called the Gatlinburg policy department with the same questions and got the same answers. Their are undoubtedly many many causative factors for any disaster, even the actions, inactions and unintentional actions can be like a snowball rolling down a mountain of snow! The fire broke out around 6:30 a.m. at the mall on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. Beginningat 2 a.m. on Sunday November 27 the relative humidity at Indian Grave dropped,getting as low as 17 percent at 8 a.m. and then lingering in the 20s and 30s until 4 am on Monday November 28. But instead great risks were taken through basic inaction and the consequences were disastrous. Yet if no one raises cain about it, things will be rebuilt with no regard for such safety factors. They had their moment in history and did not rise to it. 6 to the intersection at Reagen Drive reopened Monday afternoon after being closed Sunday morning, according to a release. Honor those who have risked much to help, indeed. That factor is the density of residential development, layout of roads, and approved building materials present in that area. When I arrived in Branson at the hotel I was close to a fire exit, and frankly forgot about my nightmare. There should be accountability for those in charge, in every arena of governance and responsibility and at every level. I realize some of my questioning is speculative and yet legitimate. (Credit: Tom Williams), Two people in custody after police chase, manhunt near Warrior & Hayden, Protest held in memory of Glenn Foster Junior, Fire department K-9 dies during search and rescue mission. Gatlinburg is in Sevier County. Finally, the Superintendent has the power to call up all the resources which were available. I am thankful so many are not only opening their eyes here, but taking action and questioning. By the way, the drainage to the northwest, where NPS had placed their line, is .2 mile and ~1,000 feet vertical (77% grade) of mostly weathered rock. According to FOX 5's Matthew Cappucci the smoke plume got to about 3,600 feet and . 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. But the pickup trucks I encountered were full of wildfire firefighters, inside the City of Gatlinburg. Very well said Tommy. Many on that team are not NPS employees, but are highly experienced wildfire fighters. My husband told me our children would not be happy with us if we did that, so we decided to leave without returning to the house. Drought, fall winds, fuel moistures that havent recovered in months, what part of this disaster was a surprise. You cannot predict an outcome of fight first and fast any better than you did letting thousands of property burn and 15 people die. 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? I loved the area, the town, homes, everything. There may be some validity in the DA doing that, but it sure calls their integrity into question. You are among several Gatlinburg residents that posted local officials told them that everything was OK as late as 5:30 and there was no evacuation notice. It appears that the Deputy has contradicted himself here. His parents died in the fire in Gatlinburg . 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. GATLINBURG, Tenn. ( WATE) A building destroyed by fire Sunday in downtown Gatlinburg has been torn down and the investigation into the cause continues. My question to the Deputy Super: If the Chimney Tops Fire 2 of Nov 23rd to 28th, 2016 could not have been extinguished before the winds came; and there was plenty of time to act before the winds came; then how come GSMNP fire crews apparently extinguished the first Chimney Tops Fire of Nov 12/13th, 2016? I responded that the climate is changing, and so are other related situations, and there will be. Also important is accountability, so is teaching, learning and experience, so is action, so is on and on. I wish the Feds had kept the case instead of handing it off to the local DA. My boys and I do not have images of wildfires that we would have seen had we waited to leave home. People lost their lives and homes because no warnings!!! Thats totally untrue. The fire was south of Gatlinburg. Much of the southeastern United States had been suffering extremely dry conditions for two to three months. 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. Kelly Morgans comments may have been harsh and offensive to some folks; but when government builds a wall; sometimes it takes a loud voice to get their attention. All rights reserved. Im surprised Cherokee Orchard Rd. 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. Published: Dec. 24, 2022 at 10:17 AM PST 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. Being an avid mountain hiker, I had seen evidence of fires from decades ago (Graveyard Fields being a macro example, but most prior fires in the forest were just like the ones this fall floor duff and fallen dead wood). 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. Down hemlocks are mostly just gone. Who knows what the climate will bring next year. 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? If I had even been in the bathroom or downstairs I wouldve died . Nearly five years. Most events have a series of issues that contribute to the outcome, the more catastrophic the event the greater the number of contributing factors. According to Ms.Schroer, firefighters walked up the Chimney Tops Trail to the top of the hill to size it up. To access this area, it is important to follow check point protocols. Considering the record of wind gusts between 5-6pm and that the fire had jumped US 441, NPS calling Gburg Fire Dept. And the list goes on. Even Congressman from east TN and western NC need to here it. Instead, the city ordered evacuation of the neighborhoods nearest the NPS day use area that was on fire (Mynatt Park and others). Bob and Stanton snuck around back roads and made it in a few days earlier than most and found what we were fearing. The report said the fire was an . As for Caf 420, they have plans to rebuild, and their employees will keep their jobs. It was about 11:30AM when we got to downtown Gatlinburg, where I took photos of the heavy on the Parkway in town. There is much opportunity in the Eastern Appalachians to better prepare citizens, towns , leaders and firefighters; To create more fire aware and safe communities. is TEMA didnt have the training. On Sunday evening we discussed with Gatlinburg friends the forecast for high winds on Monday, so I disagree with local Gatlinburg officials that they were caught by surprise. The status of individual structures in the Gatlinburg area can be found at arcgiscom. Being that were neighbors with these people, its people that we love. I am sure the Alum Cave trail up Mt. The Gatlinburg ByPass is also closed. 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. That is when I said to myself Where the hell is TEMA?. strong south, southwest winds, extreme drought, low humidity..ect.., that something similar didnt happen here. That should have been done over Thanksgiving! It just so happens that at this time hundreds of fires were subsequently being started all around the south! Visibility was bad and it was hard to breathe as we unpacked our truck. 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. I told him there wasnt when I got there at 5 oclock but I could not even see driveways on the way up. 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. 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. Lots of fires getting controlled, crews pulling off and the new fuel falling and all back ablaze. Will some folks be held accountable for actions or non-actions related to this wildfire incident? But it is good that you ask questions, and you should expect answers and a demonstration of learning, but you have to give that opportunity, just as you would want. You certainly got it right when you said that sometimes government does not listen and it takes a loud voice. People who live in forested areas need to be aware of fire danger. Our place was gone. It was a very horrible dream and I had qualms about my trip before I arrived in Branson. The massive Gatlinburg wildfires, which began in November, caused the deaths of 14 people, injured 175 others and destroyed homes and towns all around eastern Tennessee. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) Firefighters have found a body in the remains of a building that burned in . 321) at Glades Road and the Post Office. It is important to look at many facets, evidence and root cause studies so that the issues can be resolved. If you had transposed the same fire with similar conditions to California or Idaho would it have been managed the same way? 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. Undoubtedly, the current management of our natural resources will come before the Judgments of the Almighty; for human lives were lost in this fire. One of the owners of the impacted businesses called a contractor to demolish a damaged portion of the building. A safefy plan for people in the event of the many natural threats, would have to be determined ahead of time though because that level of decision-making rarely occurs in the face of imminent danger. Can fire experts examine burned areas and decipher the path of natural wildfire from managed ignited fires? This is from previous questioning of mine from another Wildfire Today article: Team to Begin Chimney Tops 2 Fire: I appreciate your more thorough break down of backfire. Yet no one will be severely punished i.e. Fire crews were dispatched to a structure fire around 6:30. At 10AM we drove to Sevierville to buy more materials (to eventually add to the bonfire). When one seriously examines the events, these lives could have been spared despite the power of fire and wind. China Bazaar, Pucker's Sports Grill, Gifts of . I would also hope that we would figure out that such major climate disruptions as the recent drought in the Southeast are getting more common and that human action has helped cause, and can help cure, such disruptions. Nonetheless, it is obvious to some folks that the NPS did not act aggressive enough on this fire. 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 ? 119K views 4 months ago GATLINBURG Many people get worried when they hear the words Gatlinburg and Fire in the same sentence. 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.. The radio conversation was fairly early in the day as I recall, maybe 7:30-8:00 am. The American publics outcry owe that much to the those whom lost loved ones, disrupted lives, destroyed both human property and natural resources in Gatlinburg, Tennessee during the Chimney Top 2 wildfire, November, 2016. If an aircraft will be en route to a lit helibase or airport, they can drop 30 minutes after sunset then fly to the lit facility. So this has affected everyone in the area in one form or another. Despite that, officials now say that the Gatlinburg fire began in the park and was. I hope that the firefighters, leaders, and authorities in this area make sure to perform in depth After Action Reviews and make changes to avoid these issues in the future. 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. Ill tell you why. Many are willing to allow the absolute open permission to some to behave as they will without question, but are unwilling to allow others the same room to learn and grow. All my constructive criticisms are not targeted to Park personnel in general. If their destination is not lit, they have to land there no later than 30 minutes after sunset. Who was responsible for Gatlinburg fire? 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. How Gatlinburg attempted to notify its residents to evacuate as the fire burned into the city, http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/2016/12/13/timeline-gatlinburg-wildfires/95138656/, http://www.southernfireexchange.org/etc/ITPFISE.pdf, Long bushfire season wears down firefighters in Queensland and Western Australia, Community near Heppner, Oregon first in Morrow County to earn Firewise designation, County Cork fire brigades work through the night on gorse fires, Renewed call for the Holy Grail of firefighter tracking, Hiker owes $300,000 for Arizona wildfire he started. From an all hazards POV large scale fire should have been recognized long before any drought conditions. Intense, deep burning fires with significant downwind spotting should be expected. IMT issued pre-evacuation notices in GA and NC each time they saw cold-front winds approaching that could would threaten communities. I can feel for the service providers and the devastated fire victims. Unfortunately this isnt always the case. Most excellently put, Jeannine (you are an exceptional writer). As a citizen with a firefighting background, I knew days ahead of time that high mountain winds were expected in the Eastern TN/NC Mountains, coupling that with the extreme drought conditions and the knowledge of the massive amount of ground fuel available in the forest based on being in the forest regularly even just days prior, outside observing the conditions and the terrain. Published: Dec. 24, 2022 at 10:17 AM PST GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - On Friday, Gatlinburg city officials released a report detailing the downtown fire on Oct. 9 that killed one person and.

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