The Knox News timeline alone has enough info for several indictments. Firefighting resources assigned to the fire include 25 hand crews, 61 engines, 6 helicopters, and 2 dozers, for a total 780 personnel. Accountability is important and paying the price for our decisions is too. You have my utmost respect for firefighting; and Ive recently addressed a firefighter who was an apparent spokesman for the local media patty-caking. 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. When human death is involved, there should be accountability, even if there is unintentional negligence. The coordination and communication of the Incident Management teams is impressive. Who knows what the climate will bring next year. Rippetoe hopes the destruction isnt there much longer and all businesses lost can return. The successes, and the losses, the poor decisions, the mistakes, the error and the failures. When enough folks dont take a vulnerable interest in situations and root out the evidence and real root causes to a situation, that is how cover-ups and lies live on, and the wrong people or wrong causes go unrooted. Thanks for the correction Bill. You certainly got it right when you said that sometimes government does not listen and it takes a loud voice. Officials will verify renters and lease holders, as needed. Fire Tears Through Downtown Gatlinburg (TN) Mall; One Person Killed If you take a hands off approach with minimal management and indirectly Play God look out. Earlier on Tuesday, media reported that a man was arrested for setting three fires that spread into a 300-acre fire in. I was truly astounded at how well coordinated the IMT teams are they cover it all, firelines, backburns, aircraft, field communications, weather forecast, community information via meetings/Facebook/Blog page/Twitter with daily updates, pre-evacuation notices when wind events were predicted. 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. Wildfire experts have been warning local government officials about the potential for a fire of this magnitude for years. And . 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. How many sorties could those planes do in an single day even if they had been deployed on Even Friday?? I heard a comment that people have the use common sense. It is to be considered, but verified by other means. Above: Chimney Tops 2 Fire at 9:37 p.m. November 28, 2016 after it had burned into Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We had a contractor there working on improvements to our house. 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). 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 love the mountains, but can I feel safe again? The big, dead hemlocks are light grey with a circular limb pattern as viewed from the air. But if park management had been spending budget on fire management capabilities equal to those sites there would likely be criticism of that. Im not saying IMTs are perfect (and no doubt there are background politics involved), but they sure appeared to do an awesome job coming to the situation with a big view and didnt hesitate to get the job done and keep the public informed. City prosecutors have charged a longtime Mililani High School leader with multiple counts of theft. But outright blame? Will it change what has happened? Kids should be charged and pay a price but so do several officials in the good old boy still lives on in the town of Gatlinburg. We could smell smoke from the fires in NC for a month before the fire began on Chimney Tops. Not everything that happened with the fires had a dotted line to those two teens. It is no wonder that the people do not trust Government. What Caused the Gatlinburg Fire of 2016? Here's the Real Story Any person involved in any sort of firefighting/fire ecology/fire control/fire management profession learns these basic fire physic scientific principals from day oneeither from formal training or through hands on fire behavior observations . So they were more concerned about NPS structures than our homes and lives? Humans lostfire won. Tom. Yes, good points Jody. My main purpose in commenting was to differentiate between a monitored wildfire and prescribed fire. The Chimney Tops 2 could be a good case in point. Nothing happens in a vacuum. We would best not be blind until that time is upon us, as then it will be too late. They are having a press conference this afternoon so perhaps there will be more transparency. I said Fed. They have tied their hands and resources through environmental forestry management. Finally a local coalition was formed to put pressure on NPS officials to uphold their mandate on historic structures. There was lots of sunlight and lots of low-level vegetation so much that the trail was overgrown and we decided to turn around. On the radio, a man in the Forestry truck was somewhere around the Roaring Fork area (as I recall) looking for possible spot fires reported near a residence and was talking about the strong winds. OF COURSE the dead hemlocks (and spruces and firs) are changing the picture for fire danger. Fire kills 1, destroys businesses in downtown Gatlinburg, Tenn It is not a black and white world, not a this or that, it is all encompassing. Thank all of you. The decisions that worked made us heroes, and those that did not changed us if we were allowed that opportunity. Neddo said total shock is the only way to describe how he feels. These things dont come with the same cheap city plans out here in the rural mountainous zones! Neitherwas enough rain to halt the drought, of course, nor was it enough to have an extended effect on the the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. How many homes were lost in the Gatlinburg fire? 1 dead in Gatlinburg fire that affected travel to Smokies 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 . He replied to me on Christmas Eve no less, that they were double checking all the facts to make sure all of their information was as accurate as possible and would keep digging. 100-acre brush fire causes evacuations in Collier County You do not hang your child or throw them out for, with good intention making the wrong choices, you teach them and help them to understand the consequences. The fire continued to spread throughout the entire structure. I asked my husband to go outside and hook up the water hose we had disconnected for winter. Hello Jon, for what its worth, I did some hiking in the Greenbrier area of the GSMNP back in October and didnt notice many dead hemlocks, although The Chimneys area may be different, which I havent hiked in years. Resources = $$$=taxes. The report concluded that the fire was an accident; however, officials said the investigation was limited because the building was not structurally sound. He and the other NPS staff there regularly went on out of state assignments. Watch This is Now, live from the Hawaii News Now Digital Center, weekdays on KHNL at 12 p.m. and on all of our streaming platforms. Many, if not most, of these incidents leave the confines of the managing agency and sweep out onto lands owned or managed by others who had NO input into the original incident management strategy. Most events have a series of issues that contribute to the outcome, the more catastrophic the event the greater the number of contributing factors. Bob called. We are still dealing but two of us or degree, the emotional loss of losing our beloved cabin but now we are in the rebuild mode. They had their moment in history and did not rise to it. 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. Circular holes in the ground spread around the forest floor for no apparent reason, no evidence in sight, no history of mining activity, most of the oldest living trees around the same height/age. The dead hemlock had to have been of huge impact to the fire. Bill, correct me if I am wrong, but aircraft should be on the ground a half hour after sunset? Ive learned so much on this blog over the past 6 weeks about how forest fires are managed and fought and Im most grateful for that. I have been walking the woods around Gatlinburg a lot since the Fire. Sweeney, to be honest weve never experienced circumstances quite like this. I thanked her, hung up and told Stanton to go load Ladys kennel. Well said, the terrain here is different than a lot of places, even out west. We warned them about the approaching fire before turning the opposite direction to proceed on downtown. I have memories of the endless mountainous terrain, but the vast development that came into being, came well after my trip there. and see if he could get any information. 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! A voluntary evacuation should have been issued at least 36 hours before the fire exploded. For almost 24 hours a day for 10 days or more, I read everything I could about Gatlinburg, and even found Wildfire Today during that But instead great risks were taken through basic inaction and the consequences were disastrous. It is a primary source and illuminates some of the discussion topics that have been on Wildfire Today. 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. 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. Gatlinburg fire 10/9/2022: One body found after Parkway blaze True, our firefighters and 1st responders put their lives in harms way and we should respect them; and yet distinguish these folks from officials who are undoubtedly making bad calls/decisions. That should have been done over Thanksgiving! In Gatlinburg, smoke and fire caused the mandatory evacuation of downtown and surrounding . The park should have been begging for help and putting out warnings all week end!!! On Monday morning we awoke to the smell of smoke. One other consideration relevant to some of the previous comments about the aggressiveness or lack thereof in dealing with the fire in the first few days is the context of other ongoing wildfires. The amount of dead Frazier fir and Spruce trees, caused by similar non-native infestation, is dramatic on Newfound Gap road, but mainly past The Chimneys at higher elevations. Rain began falling late Monday night and continued until 6 a.m. Tuesday, totaling 0.78 inch at Indian Grave. Forecasts were issued each day from November 24 through 27; we could not find one for November 28 the day the fire burned into Gatlinburg. 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. TEMA had the power and authority, yet did nothing until Hell was at their door. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) Firefighters have found a body in the remains of a building that burned in downtown Gatlinburg, officials said. Yes, some the ridges connecting to chimney-tops had dead hemlock stands. There will be legal repercussions because of incompetence. It was hard to drive because of falling leaves, branches, smoke, wind, and nerves. Every business downtown was closed except for Bubba Gumps. Me, like thousands of Buckeyes make the five-hour trek to Tennessee for family [] Oct. 11, 2022, at 10:27 a.m. 1 Dead in Gatlinburg Fire That Affected Travel to Smokies. LeConte, is spread primarily, if not exclusively through the air.Though I havent been there in awhile, there used to be a stunning grove of Hemlocks in the Linville Falls area off the Parkway approx. Did the 14th fire discreetly burn in the duff amid rock cervices? I wonder when NPS actually put out a request for Incident Management Team support. Copyright 2022 WVLT. I left early to get boys and filled Stantons old Subaru Outback up with gas. Limbs began to fall. The report said the fire was an accident and caused around $7 million in damages. It goes for miles, Ive pushed as hard as I could straight down and only managed 1/10th mile an hour on the gps in a few such places. I hope the report gives the reason why the tanker planes were never called in since they are co-managed by the NFS and NPS. Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. 2 min read. The winds were getting stronger. They decided instead to monitor and to identifyon a map areas for indirect containment lines which encompassed 410 acres. Many times this tactic takes commitment of over a week. Someone must have started the fire. Of course, the city of They were in their driveway with a water hose. Whether it be a resources, financial, training, bias, discriminatory, knowledge, failure to support, equipment or other systemic, human, data or other failures; we often seek to put the blame on any one or a few of the workers when the real root of the problems lies in systemic, resource or other human interaction issues and decisions made by others seemingly unconnected to the immediate event. They were told No, we have it under control.. 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. Person killed in downtown Gatlinburg fire identified The identities of the three killed have not been released . I am positive that for anyone who gives of themselves to protect and serve will forever be haunted by that far more than anyone of us can expect to hold them accountable by lynching. I dont know details as to the trail. I fully understand the financial difficulties of the NPS and with firefighters abroad. Its always been this way so you have to watch who you deal with, this is why the City and County need to clean this up, this would bring down the prices of these people with signs up everywhere for clean up. Thank you, Bill. 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. It is not just officials who have not caught up with the new climate reality, it is the general public and those in the path of fire. Maybe a second year of drought? Another factor in the tragic outcome goes way beyond any mismanagement of the fire in its early period. This truck was also filled with firefighters. Concerning the time the fire jumped 441. He told me he was scared to drive the truck-its a lot more cumbersome in the local terrain than his little Outback. Fire those managers! strong south, southwest winds, extreme drought, low humidity..ect.., that something similar didnt happen here. We applied for the Dollywood assistance and FEMA and can get neither, Im not sure who they are helping but for us and our neighbors we arent getting anything. I was surprised that we saw no one at the closed Chimneys parking area early morning when we drove by. If the new location isnt in Gatlinburg, it will definitely be in Sevier County. I would like to express that there are sincere and dedicated folks working for the National Park Service. Over 130 sustained injuries, and 1,684 structures have been damaged or destroyed. We told them the fire was coming. Lets hope that this round regarding the fire and loss of life, it will be more difficult for officials to weasel out of this one. Finally, the Superintendent has the power to call up all the resources which were available. Officials identified Robert A. Hejny, 63, who was found at Traveler's Motel in Gatlinburg. I thought if we were have to leave we could take both vehicles to our friends house to sit out the night. Emergency management should have been all over this from the very beginning. In late 2016, wildfires . An in depth investigation should be launched and the (ir)responsible parties identified. Remembering the Gatlinburg Wildfires five years later - WYMT It is the duty of the people and Congress to maintain and voice our concerns and opinions to where check and balances work. There could be falling trees. I left the professional fire service with 3o plus years of experience, yet with a still learning and observant mind. Below is a comment I posted from New Sentinel article about Gatlinburg fire, Wildfire Today something that undoubtedly should be investigated as well as compared to their actions of the 23rd to 28th Chimney Tops Fire 2: Officials are evasive and vague about the 1st Chimney Tops Fire. In addition, the valley above Gatlinburg, drained by LeConte Creek, has had enormous numbers of dead hemlock standing and fallen. This is a complicated incident where many lessons can be learned. I am like you in that I will never be able to get a good nights sleep on the mountain again as Im all be consistently looking out the window. It was about 11:30AM when we got to downtown Gatlinburg, where I took photos of the heavy on the Parkway in town. 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. Mitchell, Mt. That doesnt mean excessive chainsaw mania; but it doesnt mean going to the other extreme with the type of forestry management in some of our Parks and other public lands. My nightmare depicted more what happened in Gatlinburg than so far in Branson. Everyone should also know that this area is characterized by mountain laurel, in some areas nearby its so thick the only way through is on top it or if your lucky under on your belly. Not committing firefighters to direct attack in a steep very hard to access high risk area was a good decision. Until theyre able to return, Neddo hates to see the Gatlinburg Parkway location gone, but he hopes the next place will be even better. Guessing the fire spotted from the Chimneys, to Bullhead, then on to Twin Creeks area. And no doubt books both factual and not on this event. The fire did not get up the valley to the Alum Cave Parking Lot, and LeConte Lodge is fine. This story Im telling is all factual you see I have a problem with anyone exaggerating events as well as lying so I tell the truth regardless of how unpopular it may be. Classic Swiss Cheese risk management fire management failurehave we as a profession learned anything since South Canyon, Yarnell and now Chimney Top 2? Chimney Tops 2 Fire - National Park Service From an all hazards POV large scale fire should have been recognized long before any drought conditions. Unfortunately, Im not optimistic about the inter-agency review. Above: The Drought Monitor issued November 29 showed Exceptional Drought, the highest category, for the Gatlinburg area and large sections of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 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. Digression from Comment Thread I just assumed that others would be leaving Gatlinburg out of concerns similar to mine. 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. I told him to go up and park in driveway close to where I wanted to leave the truck and that I would drive truck up. However, an event such as the Gatlinburg fires undoubtedly leads to a can of worms that some folks would rather just sweep under the rug. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the GFD, Gatlinburg Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It was also unbelievably dry. I have my own opinion on what I would do if I ruled the world but I can guarantee you two people that would be looking for work very soon .