It affected an estimated 2,400 buildings. I would recommend people living in areas with any chance of wildfire to invest in a quality full face respirator that will filter smoke and fine particles. I still get panic attacks when I smell smoke and dont know where its coming from. This prompted me to start cleaning up my small patch of woods on my property. Just enough to scar me. To many, the Gatlinburg Space Needle is a favorite attraction when visiting the Smokies. He told her to contact 911. First, we believe there was no way we could have controlled the fire prior to the wind event, said Clay Jordan, Deputy Superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The KNP Complex Fire that devastated Sequoia National Park and surrounding lands in September-October 2021 had much in common with the Gatlinburg disasterchief among the commonalities is Superintendant Clay Jordan. When two juveniles were arrested on December 7 and charged with aggravated arson, many people assumed they had the answer. The legal battles continue as of this writing in 2023. They outlined how the fire grew from a little more than an acre to over 17,000 acres. Tennessee wildfires near Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge prompt evacuations Those fires were around Chimneys Picnic Area. Crushed when l saw and heard of so much damage. He said at that point the fire was creeping and smoldering in the thick vegetation at the top of the rocky summit. A yellow brown haze was everywhere. Gatlinburg Fire Damage: List of Destroyed Businesses & Landmarks With that interest came an amazing outpouring of financial support and, of course, a natural interest in what caused the disaster. Some of the towns most impacted were Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, both near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Greer said Park Fire Management Officer Greg Salansky did not warn Gatlinburg officials of the threat of the fire until Nov. 28, five days after the fire had started. The message was sent at 9:03 p.m. News media reported the evacuation notices which were shared through social media sites and we are eternally grateful for the multiple avenues that were shared in the evacuation message. All manpower and resources from the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Fire departments were used to stop the blaze. Browse all Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg condos. The G-burg fires remind me of the ole adage, We are from the Government, trust us, we are here to help. We have been back one time since, and it was shocking to see what had been lost, but people were rebuilding. The Skylift was originally a two-seat ride up to the top of the mountain, where visitors could get off and enjoy a gift shop or just take in the views, before riding back down. 5 lanes of traffic ALL headed the same towards 40. In anticipation of the high-wind forecast, Jordan said they ordered three large helicopters, in an effort to slow the intensity of the fire as it continued to back down steep slopes toward the containment lines. Within hours, a small blaze had exploded into the worst fire in the Smoky Mountains in a hundred years, forcing thousands to flee and leaving fourteen dead. five days Did Westgate in Gatlinburg burn down? My husband and I were on vacation. Did the NPS make the situation 1,000x worse by ignorance, arrogance and inaction? Jodan said Great Smoky Mountain National Park requested a spot weather forecast for the fire from the National Weather Service.
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