Did it rain Monday Night and Tuesday morning, maybe putting some of this out? Spare Dollywood!
Quote:
https://weather.com/news/news/tennes...eon-forge-fire
The Tennessee resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge were reeling Tuesday morning after several wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountains quickly advanced on the area, prompting mass evacuations and burning dozens of homes and businesses.
According to officials during a press conference Tuesday, more than 400 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in Sevier County and at least 14,000 were evacuated from Gatlinburg alone overnight.
Gatlinburg Fire Chief Craig Miller, who noted that "the worst is over," said more than 200 firefighters are "still actively fighting fire" and noted that it had been a "difficult 24 hours." An additional 212 firefighters have been requested to help with the effort Tuesday, he added.
"This is a fire for the history books," said Miller. "It's like nothing many of us have ever seen."
No fatalities have been reported, but 12 people are being treated for injuries, Miller said.
Gatlinburg mayor Mike Werner, who said he likely lost his own home in the fire, offered encouragement to the community, saying Gatlinburg was "strong and very resilient."
"We will rebuild," said Werner. "It's going to be okay."
As of 11 a.m., fires have claimed more than 150 structures in the unincorporated part of the county and more than 200 in the cities, according to WBIR. At least 70 homes have been destroyed.
Pigeon Forge Mayor David Wear said in a weather.com Facebook live interview that nine structures were destroyed in the town.
"We have been blessed to not have had more," said Wear.
As dawn broke Tuesday morning, harrowing accounts began to emerge of the inferno that threatened the resort towns overnight.
"The center of Gatlinburg looks good for now," Newmansville Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Bobby Balding told the Knoxville News-Sentinel on Tuesday. "It's the apocalypse on both sides (of downtown)."
WATE reported in a live broadcast that 12,000 residents in Sevier County remained without power as fires continued to burn in the area. At least four Blackhawk helicopters of the McGhee-Tyson Battalion were dropping drop water on fires and helping with search and rescue.
On Monday, residents in Gatlinburg, parts of Pigeon Forge and areas along the Spur were told to evacuate around 9 p.m., according to WATE.com. Just over an hour later, some 30 structures were on fire in Gatlinburg, including a 16-story hotel, emergency officials told the Associated Press.
Continued at link with video and pictures.