A wildfire that has destroyed more than 150 homes and business in Gatlinburg also caused the death of three people, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Two thousand people were displaced from their homes, and 12 patients have been transported to local hospitals in the Knoxville area for non-life threatening conditions. Fourteen thousand residents and visitors have been evacuated from Gatlinburg and the surrounding area, including Pigeon Forge.
“As far as preparation, there was not much we could do besides ensure the safety of everyone at Sugarlands Distilling Company,” Jay Miller said, ho works at Sugarland Distillery Company towards the middle of Gatlinburg. “Most of us were up through the night follow the fast moving wildfires and hoping for the best. So far, five people who work at the distillery lost their homes in the out of control fire. We are coming together as a family to try to help them recover from this tragedy.”
The Gatlinburg wildfire began from another nearby wildfire in the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As winds picked up to almost 80 mph late Monday evening and early Tuesday night, the flames were swept towards the village.
“All the conditions just came together to create the perfect storm,” Henri D. Grissino-Mayer, a professor of geography and an expert on forest wildfires, said. “That’s what they are calling this, and that’s exactly what happened. You have a major drought going on, you have a lot of fuels in and around Gatlinburg because we’ve been putting fires out for decades now, you have arsonists and you have high winds from the local weather.”
Gatlinburg is also located at the edge of a national park and forest that has historically had wildfires ignite within it. Since the fires have been frequently extinguished around Gatlinburg, fuel in the form of dried twigs and leaves has collected and surrounded the city.
“If we put fires out for 80 years, which we’ve been doing, then that means the fuels have built up for 80 years,” Mayer said. “The fuels – all the grass, all the needles, all the leaves, twigs, branches, logs, trees, everything – has built up for 80 years … It’s no wonder that all it took was the right conditions. And this was a perfect storm, and it was just waiting to happen.”
Gatlinburg is in the wildland-urban interface, and area between unoccupied, natural land and places where there is human development. Places in this region tend to be at higher risk for wildfires.
“We just need to be a little more knowledgeable about the forest that we live in,” Mayer said.
The Mynatt Park neighborhood, East Foothills Road, Turkey Nest Road, Davenport Road and the Savage Gardens Area in Gatlinburg were evacuated at about 6 p.m. on Monday. The evacuation order was later extended as fires spread through the area.
More than 120 National Guard soldiers were sent to assist in Sevier County Emergency Management. Donation efforts have been organized in Knoxville to collect toiletries, bottled water, food and monetary donations. Yassin’s Falafel House, Sacred Heart Cathedral School, Star 102.1 and Paws and Claws Animal Rescue acted as collection points for donations.
“I have monitored this situation closely because of the amount of customers we have that were in jeopardy. I drove around the area all day yesterday trying to watch and assess the situation,” Jason Grubb, co-owner of Raymond’s Pest Control in Sevierville, said. “I also have several friends and a family member who lost their homes. We are trying to find out more ways we can personally help.”
Watergate Resorts and Black Bear Falls are believed to have lost their cabins. Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies was evacuated on Monday night, leaving the animals behind. Marine biologists reentered the aquarium Tuesday afternoon and reported that the animals are safe.
“We closed the doors of the distillery at 4 p.m. yesterday and have not been allowed back. At that time there was dense smoke and falling ash in the air. Our head distiller, Greg Eidam, was the last to leave and he could see the fires approaching highway 441 (The Spur) on his way out toward Pigeon Forge,” Miller said.
Dolly Parton’s Dollywood was unaffected. She issued a statement expressing support for the city along with Gov. Bill Haslam, who said he will be going down to Gatlinburg to meet with officials about the situation.
More than 200 firefighters from Gatlinburg and the surrounding area have worked to extinguish the flames. Water has been airdropped onto the wildfires, with three Blackhawk helicopters standing by.
“Gatlinburg and the people here will survive, rebuild, and go on for the future,” Grubb said. “Sevier County is a strong area with strong leaders and people here are resilient.”
Donations are amassed for both firefighters and those affected by the wildfires in the Gatlinburg area.
