The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the GFD, Gatlinburg Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. People who live in forested areas need to be aware of fire danger. The Chimneys functionally act as the head of a canyon leading directly to downtown Gatlinburg. Steve Brueck of DaculaWeather.com suppied us with Local Storm Report Informationfrom the National Weather Service that includes wind gust speeds in the general area. On November 11 some hikers found a fire built in the middle of the trail on brushy mountain trail. Please keep in mind our commenting ground rules before you post a comment. He told me he was scared to drive the truck-its a lot more cumbersome in the local terrain than his little Outback. Do we need to learn from it. By the end of the day on Sunday the fire had burned approximately 35 acres, according to Ms. Schroer and the results from a mapping flight (see the 3-D mapabove). Lets see, that would probably consist of a GS-5 or 6 and two or three seasonal GS-4s. The fire was south of Gatlinburg. Yet, at that very time, citizens were asking city employees and fireman if they should evacuate (well documented in the local news). Regardless, the appropriate aerial assault should continue. Remember GSMNP is not Yosemite or Yellowstone with extreme fire behavior and a history of problems. We have turned in a claim but still no word on a settlement. Because we were heading home to Ohio early Tuesday morning, we packed our suitcases and put them in the car. The fire had spread to Mynatt Park in Gatlinburg, and people were being evacuated from neighborhood there. If the Park Service had done there job in the first place and City and County leaders would have stepped in and done something this could and would have been prevented. This country was founded on open respectful discussion, such as this which has occurred in this article commentary and blog comments. I later learned that Sevier County pays for an emergency notification system called Code Red Alert. I am astounded at the amount of information, expertise, warning, and awareness of imminent danger was present and available in this situation. they may be using too wide a brush to place blame. This was part of our retirement plan and now all we have left is a lot, we lost a lot of money that we will never be able to recuperate. In response to Jeanne in regard to Kelly Morgans comments: It is the duty of the American people to honor and respect and obey the Laws of the Land unless government becomes a dictatorship to basic rights and freedoms. He was told there was none/no one. My nightmare depicted more what happened in Gatlinburg than so far in Branson. Yes government at all levels needs to be held accountable; otherwise we regress back into the Dark Ages. WTF were they letting the planes in Chattanooga sit idle? The Tip Line is 888-653-0009. The deaths in this incident can be attributed to being trapped and forced to shelter in place. So who would you blame the people that died, wildlife and homeowners. Rain began falling late Monday night and continued until 6 a.m. Tuesday, totaling 0.78 inch at Indian Grave. Yes, there is backside-covering going on. Property owners still have the rights to protect their property. How did I know that? The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. 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. It also led officials to. . Citing the steep terrain and the safety of firefighters, fire managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) decided not to take direct action on the fire which would entail constructing fireline along the edge of the fire to remove the fuel that allows it to spread. Waited a month to report this event and turn over the pictures they took to forestry officials! Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces, after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. Instead, the city ordered evacuation of the neighborhoods nearest the NPS day use area that was on fire (Mynatt Park and others). Many structures were lost- thankfully no lives. The further fire growth part was more accurate than they realized at the time. Those people have their head in a hole, a burned out tree stump hole the very definition of ignore-ance. It is now time for aircraft (usually helicopters) to start washing the fire off the hill. Also important is accountability, so is teaching, learning and experience, so is action, so is on and on. 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 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. GATLINBURG, Tennessee -- The charges have been dropped against two teens who were accused of starting the wildfires in Gatlinburg last fall. Behind the Chimneys is Sugarland Mountain. I told her when she does mine about my rebuild and my crooked contractor I will speak plenty about the ineptness of the NPS and local fire officials. The learning system of resolution. Even life-long locals said they had never seen rhododendren wither up before. Bats were roosting in the church rafters and dropping feces onto the pews. He asked them if they could give us an update on the fire and they said no. There is no cost, and in case you change your mind each email has an unsubscribe button. Perhaps all the firefighters prior experience was giving them mental slides that were no longer valid given the conditions. But if park management had been spending budget on fire management capabilities equal to those sites there would likely be criticism of that. There is room for all to be as important as the other, and hold all of these ideals up at the same time, to honor and to debate. Interesting time line, fire discovered about 1730 November 23. Who is watching the back door? When we got to the bottom of the mountain, we ran into the Sevier County Electric crew where the road was blocked. So my husband called the Gatlinburg policy department with the same questions and got the same answers. (Bloomberg) -- Zoom Video Communications Inc. slumped in early trading Friday after abruptly terminating the employment of . Our local congressional representative will be the first to confront the Park Service for numerous shortfalls, bias agendas that cater to special interest groups, and a host of other issues to where the NPS serves itself more so than the people. Situational awareness to current and predicted variables, as well as the potential of possibility is key. The Gatlinburg fire chief put out a notice for additional help to come to Gatlinburg around 11:52 pm. I think were all just going to come back and rebuild stronger than ever, he said. We need a growing pool of resources who have gained knowledge and wisdom hat can be applied to future events, not to lessen the pool by throwing out those who failed but are not a failure. I checked historical aerial photos on the USGS website because the die-off of the hemlock has been primarily over the past 10 years in the southeastern Appalachians. Wednesday, November 23, the day the fire started. Who can or will hold them accountable for their part in this tragedy? I can feel for the service providers and the devastated fire victims. Many times, as has been thoroughly vetted during the analysis the Chimney Top 2 wildfire the ONLY option is an all out aggressive, throw the world at it initial attack from air, ground and sea. At the big forest fires in NC and GA, where the federal incident management teams were located, the Incident teams ordered pre-evacuation prior to the arrival of a cold front when strong, gusty winds were forecast. The appearance of dead hemlock progression is astounding. The fire could have been stopped over the weekend if proper procedures had been followed. On November 23 when the fire was discovered the KBDI was 599, Molly Schroer, a spokesperson for the IMT told us. Wildfire Today covered engines being shipped from CA. At least one of them drove up the street below our house and parked there for about an hour. This article shows NPS was concerned by and notified of impending high winds. The People have been deceived with a vague and biased investigation regarding this particular bear incident. Even this article seems to skirt around some of the issues and miss the depth of analysis it needs to effect meaningful change. We drove west down the parkway. Another factor in the tragic outcome goes way beyond any mismanagement of the fire in its early period. Some of the seemingly inexplicable burn patterns are due to the wind driven nature. She saw a fire and called 911. If the defendants didnt ignite the 14th fire, who did and is this 14th fire under investigation? Sweeney, to be honest weve never experienced circumstances quite like this. I thanked her, hung up and told Stanton to go load Ladys kennel. When boys and I got back home around 3:45, the winds were beginning to pick up and branches were beginning to fall. I have wanted to learn because I dont know enough to say much, but when I read your two posts about the loss of your cabin, and your escape, I felt I had to say, Im so sorry, to you, and probably speak for many many others who did not find this blog and find an avenue to learn, listen and to speak. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. Excellent report Dr. Gabbert. People died and lost so much and that is absolutely tragic! Thanks for adding more good insight. Rippetoe hopes the destruction isnt there much longer and all businesses lost can return. It is not a black and white world, not a this or that, it is all encompassing. Deciding to keep air resources in reserve for initial attack on new starts rather than wash the fire off chimney tops was a good decision. Ten people were hospitalized after a Spirit Airlines plane bound for Orlando, Florida, made an emergency landing in Jacksonville due to a fire onboard, according to officials. The first thing you think is, Is this real?, said Tyler Neddo, a longtime employee of Caf 420. Gatlinburg Fire Department crews responded to the scene and received help from Pigeon Forge Fire Department, Pigeon Forge Police Department, Sevierville Fire Department, Pittman Center Volunteer Fire Department, Sevier County Emergency Management Agency, Sevier County Medical Examiners Office and Sevier County Ambulance Services. No pre-evacuation notice was sent so citizens could be ready to depart. Ive not had a chance to hike post-fire areas in the mountains yet to see fires effect on dead hemlocks, but what Henry said about dead stumps burning into the ground looking like a volcano rings true with what Ive witnessed in mountain forest areas that burned decades ago. The decisions that worked made us heroes, and those that did not changed us if we were allowed that opportunity. People were ready to leave their home in 15 min. Other than the way the police were able to evacuate 4,000 people from Gatlinburg with little notice on Monday evening, everyone else involved did a very poor job. Most events have a series of issues that contribute to the outcome, the more catastrophic the event the greater the number of contributing factors. Had they viewed the Chimney Tops 2 fire as though it was in the forested southwest Im sure they would have issued pre-evacuation notices up to 48 hours prior to the wind events of that Monday. I appreciate how articulately you described your thoughts. I repeat The NPS and the Fire Chief of Gatlinburg should have started fighting the Chimney Tops 2 fire aggressively the day it was discovered. The timeline of when NPS requested additional help was unfortunately too late for help to arrive before the firestorm hit. The Spur or US 441 runs between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in the Smokies. You cannot predict an outcome of fight first and fast any better than you did letting thousands of property burn and 15 people die. It was extremely dark and small branches and twigs were pelting our car. The perfect firestorm. The NPS, IMO, did not take an aggressive stance on this fire, and that is usually the case with them. The Gatlinburg Space Needle fire (July 1992) In 1992, a fire destroyed Ripley's Gatlinburg Museum which was, at the time, located at the base of the needle. The radio conversation was fairly early in the day as I recall, maybe 7:30-8:00 am. Within a few days or week prior to this deadly fire I heard a local major Knoxville radio station broadcasting a satire bashing HRC, Obama, the Federal Government among a few other controversial things, and how the revolution has begun including the incitement of burning down the place, this Knoxville radio station followed this rant with songs whose lyrics tough-ted and instructed the starting of fires. The wind remained at moderate strength on Wednesday with gusts decreasing from 37 at 3 a.m. to the lower teens by the end of the day. Are city and county officials learning to use the expensive Motorola radio system that would have allowed various agencies to communicate when cell service went down? As we drove south out of Pigeon Forge I took another photo before we entered the spur, which shows smoke and a red glow above Gatlinburg. However, firebe it a wildfire, structure fire, flammable liquid fire or a a bi-nine campfire does not care or worry about budget cuts, staffing issues, political agendas, experienced or inexperienced decision making or other human factors. NO managing wildfire is much more complex, especially in a multiple fire drought driven incident like managers were dealing with on this incident. As I learned in the first 12 hours what took place there, I realized that there was almost no preparation for the risk of a fire, on any However, when adequate risk analysis, proactive contingency planning and decision making, real time fire behavior simulations predicting possible disastrous outcomes, humans may have a much better chance of containing, or controlling, or herding, or managing or all-out suppressing an unwanted or unplanned ignition. Published: Oct. 11, 2022 at 5:31 PM PDT GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. It is a sad state of affairs, the loss of life was quite avoidable. 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 leadership tetrahedron if you will, the area where all the parts come together based on the past, the current, the potential and the possible. I am thankful so many are not only opening their eyes here, but taking action and questioning. wasnt blocked off since Mynatt Park was told to evacuate at 5:17. The excellent Park folks seemed to just monitor it, and it resolved itself. 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. Me, like thousands of Buckeyes make the five-hour trek to Tennessee for family [] God doesnt cut financial budgets. In addition, officials confirmed that a firefighter was transported to the hospital with minor injuries from the fire but has since been released. In fact, Monday afternoon several rental agencies were telling reservation customers to come on to Gatlinburg (news documented). Frankly people should lose their jobs and fault should be placed on their shoulders. Instead simply took pictures on their phone, 3. The electricity goes out almost everytime there is a high wind. Here is a question & answer from Bill interviewing Tom Nichols on Wildfire Today: One of the more common errors in judgment you have seen on fires? Since November 29 it has rained about every 2 to 3 daysin the Gatlinburg area. May all the people find peace and forgiveness in the midst of this storm. As they are minors, nothing else is known other than the Feds said the State could prosecute. Alice Hagler was reported missing by her family and later confirmed dead. Fire erupts on both side of Highway 441 between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. We, the public, have to be activists for our own safety, the very safety that public officials claim to protect. The 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, also known as the Gatlinburg wildfires, [1] were a complex of wildfires which began in late November 2016. This appears to be the case once again. Mitchell, Mt. Since we had been planning all day to go downtown to play trivia at Smoky Mountain Brewery, we left the house about 5:55PM. We are to be stewards of the land. At this time, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials were contacted, according to the report. The Knox News timeline alone has enough info for several indictments. Not the best plan but the safest. I was afraid to go into Park with boys. with a notice that evacuation is imminent would have been prudent. Thanks for your rundown on the fire Bill. Will we fail forward? .. bless you all! Officials will verify renters and lease holders, as needed. Those with information are urged to contact the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017 or the GFD at 865-436-5112. That said, we are now in the rebuild mode. Just a quick comment per above posts. I would like to know if the same two kids are also responsible for the first Chimney fire? We checked the Spot Weather Forecasts that were requested by the NPS and issued by the NWS for the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. It would make suppression efforts difficult, but a fire break could have been constructed around the original slow-moving fire in the early days. I phoned 911 and reported that the fire was approaching our home and that it was within a few feet of the city/park boundary. So whether the defendants started the 14th fire or not, a close examination of this Facebook press release indicates the fire apparently started on the 13th; and yet a social media photo post claims the 12th clearly showing a lack of response once again in fire suppression by the NPS. But outright blame? They had no sirens or Claxons blaring, no shouting to evacuate thru their grill mounted speakers. There will be time to consider legal and civil options later . This fire as did others around this time had highly predictable potential for massive and rapid spread. The facts are clear that this was not the appropriate action taking during the initial stages of the Chimney Top 2 wildfire. Intention is important, even in a court of law, intention ways heavily on the sentencing. On the map below, the fire is the small dot in the center surrounded by the yellow line. A similar fire occurred on English Mountain. High winds were to start soon and rain was 5 hours away as indicated by radar. I can only say that I had no peace at all whatsoever after the first word I heard of the terrible fire there .. Drought, fall winds, fuel moistures that havent recovered in months, what part of this disaster was a surprise. I cannot count how many times my wife or I would find a fire smoldering typically from someone who flipped a lit cigarette and the brush when they were finished. I am not convinced that all of what is considered to be the Chimney Tops 2 fire is. Bob and I had discussions about what we would do if we were to be surprised by wildfires up Beech Branch Road with no warning. Climate change, human, social, political and economic factors are all also a part of this outcome, cause and effect. There are many many folks who even if cell service were functional could not afford it. What about helicopters dumping water? A lot of chainsawing has been going on. Jody, you have said well what Ive wanted to say from my impressions made after the fire about this tragic situation. 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. That said, it is always easier for those outside of the forest to see the big picture then those who are standing inside the trees down on the forest floor. Spirit Airlines . Politics, as we know can cloud even a clear sunny day!!! We were there from May until early November. No evacuation orders issued- If I had gone to work that day my two sons would be dead. Hopefully all of those affected will be able to begin again. That said I have been an avid backpack or in hiker who has done probably every trail in the Smokies many times over. Very well said Tommy. However, I still wonder why there has been no word from the governor about the post-fire review team he promised. Also, for the last several decades, NPS policies have allowed these excessive fuels to build. 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. Those are low numbers for the southeastern United States. No. Even if the new construction doesnt suffer from the eventual degradation of the old foundation, years after you have rebuilt and want to sell your cabin, due to prior disclosure malls when you tell a prospective buyer that your foundation went through the 100 year fire which burned your foundation at 1400 to 3000 F, only a fool would buy it. But the pickup trucks I encountered were full of wildfire firefighters, inside the City of Gatlinburg. So many unanswered questions? Being that were neighbors with these people, its people that we love. Hire an independent fire behavior consultant to assist in PLANNING and timely response if conditions appear to be coming into (fire) alignment. It had burned into a picnic area and crossed the main roadinto the park, US Highway 441. 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. People that I know said that not implementing fire suppression is exactly what they should have done, so we can agree to disagree. A good example of the kind of human factors that continue to get in the way of better preparedness and change for the good is the backlash in which one reporter from NC received when she asked tough questions of some officials. The fire broke out around 6:30 a.m. at the mall on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. Nearly five years. FF get lulled into thinking they know by instinct but that era ininct will get people killed and thatas what happened. Yes a lot is somewhat predictable, just as this fire, but not every aspect is, there are too many variables in the real world. The reason that is a point is IMT has experience far beyond any fire teams in east TN or GSMNP, especially with wind-driven wildfires. The remains of a business in Gatlinburg, Tenn., smolder on Nov. 29, after a devastating wildfire damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 buildings and killed at least 14 people. Years ago, the NPS wasnt maintaining the churches in Cades Cove of the Smokies. I agree with the earlier post that if this fire had been in Southern California or other areas subject to devastating fire if it would have been managed differently. It certainly should be addressed, by We, the People. She has given me permission to share it on this site. Which is pretty near chimney tops. An in depth investigation should be launched and the (ir)responsible parties identified. It would be interesting to dig a little further on this. I think 6 days should have been plenty of time for them to do something we now see what inaction causes, dont we. GSMNP Facebook has pulled comments, photos, and replies as well in regard to the 14th fire. 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. Im not saying GRSM made the right or wrong decision, there is just a lot more involved then saying they didnt suppress it promptly. Of course, the city of Now he has the benefit of another 60 to 90 days of another investigation before anything officially or otherwise will be said. We went to West TN for Thanksgiving Holidays and came back home to Gatlinburg on Sunday. 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.
Knapp Forest Elementary Staff,
Peoples Funeral Home Falmouth, Ky,
Articles W