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I began to notice people smoking while driving their vehicles when I would be out and about and they would flick burning embers out windows and sometimes throw cigarettes out windows. Paddlers prepare to hit the water for the return of the Kualoa Hakipuu Canoe Festival, Former Mililani High athletic director indicted, Hawaii police departments offer big incentives as competition for new recruits heats up, Stroke survivor's specially-modified bike returned, Midday Newscast: City proposes $300 tax credit for those with homeowner's exemption, 'The Other Side of Paradise' with Lynn Kawano, KHNLPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KGMBPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KFVEPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KSIXPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KOGGPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246. Once again the County and the City is sitting around twiddling their thumbs and doing nothing just like they did when the fire started and they could have contained it. Rain began falling late Monday night and continued until 6 a.m. Tuesday, totaling 0.78 inch at Indian Grave. I can name 14 people who deserved much better! Body found amid rubble of Sunday's major fire in Gatlinburg Was it ever fully suppressed? Even Congressman from east TN and western NC need to here it. He has had to struggle with the untimely death of his very healthy and active in younger retirement parents but both of us having been an EMS and fire service, he is of the opinion just as I am that the NPS as well as the Gatlinburg fire chief and the city and county officials have the most of blood on their hands . How the Historic Gatlinburg Fires Happened; a Humble Start - GovTech Since November 29 it has rained about every 2 to 3 daysin the Gatlinburg area. I told her my concerns of fire, traffic, and falling trees blocking flow of traffic were there an emergency. Period. That and your wish to pay 50% income tax and there will never be a fire again! The Chimney Tops 2 Fire was reported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, TN at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23, 2016. wasnt blocked off since Mynatt Park was told to evacuate at 5:17. Those businesses were also protected from the fire. This is a failure at the city, county and state levels, as well as top FEMA, leadership. Most of those resources were involved in those ongoing fires and unavailable for immediate response to a small fire, when it was still small. We watched the news the rest of evening. When human death is involved, there should be accountability, even if there is unintentional negligence. Intention is important, even in a court of law, intention ways heavily on the sentencing. strong south, southwest winds, extreme drought, low humidity..ect.., that something similar didnt happen here. Youre right change is hard to come by. 100-acre brush fire causes evacuations in Collier County I would like to express that there are sincere and dedicated folks working for the National Park Service. 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. I would rather have someone on the job who has screwed up, erred and learned from the experience as I know that the chances of a repeat performance are lessened and for most learners they will progress forward with even better decision making skills. Fire behavior is predictable, based on things such as mentioned in this article; weather, terrain and fuels. These are the facts and simple truths that should not be ignored. Situational awareness to current and predicted variables, as well as the potential of possibility is key. Amazingly, some locals have whined about Knox News and Wildfire Today pointing out facts and timelines while ignoring the fact that it was Congress that cut the National Forest and National Park budgets. Now he has the benefit of another 60 to 90 days of another investigation before anything officially or otherwise will be said. It was hard to drive because of falling leaves, branches, smoke, wind, and nerves. Thanks for the correction Bill. A voluntary evacuation should have been issued at least 36 hours before the fire exploded. Im totally with you accountability. Thanksgiving Day Global Supertanker 747 is responding to wild fires in Israel. Whatever happened to good old common sense decisions considering the drought, excessive fuels, and weather! Yes, there had been many fires in the southeast during the 6 to 8 weeks before the fire started in Great Smoky Mountains NP, but it is my understanding that at that time they had diminished and there may have been significant firefighting resources available. I am hopeful that there are enough folks taking note of and keeping a watchful eye out for this situation, so that lies and cover-up will be vetted. You forgot lack of funding to adequately staff the park. The governors promised investigation has yet to appear (if it ever will), but the National Parks investigation is proceeding and no locals are on that team. Years ago, the NPS wasnt maintaining the churches in Cades Cove of the Smokies. A club . Fire those managers! Thanks again for your touching reply. There is much to delve into in resolving the causative factors of this disaster and the fire and park service are only a part of that equation. 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. Thanks for adding more good insight. This time it is not firefighters but civilian deaths. The truck was filled with firefighters. There are many many folks who even if cell service were functional could not afford it. The fire on Sunday caused extensive damage to a block of . There are other variables that are of concern here too, such as area resources that are already low and being taxed by the sheer number of fires occurring in the region, the growth of urban interface among the eastern forests, rugged mountainous terrain and economic restraints. Click here. Once again, can fire discreetly smolder in the duff amid rock crevices? Hemlocks were mentioned in a number of daily updates on Inciweb because they are basically standing roman candles thanks to the spiral of limbs. I convinced my husband to drive back toward our house to see if we could see the fire. Me, like thousands of Buckeyes make the five-hour trek to Tennessee for family [] I can feel for the service providers and the devastated fire victims. I realize some of my questioning is speculative and yet legitimate. I hope this video puts people at ease that this fire is. Birmingham City have had to close their training ground after a fire caused damage on Friday morning. All weekend, my husband and daughter followed the fire on the Chimney Tops 2 facebook page NPS had established. Not sure on how the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid infects our truly awesome and beautiful Hemlocks, but I do know that the Balsam Wooly Adelgid, the non-native insect that has helped to lay waste to the equally magnificent Fraser Fir forests such as found on the highest peaks Clingmans Dome, Mt. At least seven people have died and dozens have been hospitalized in wildfires in Tennessee that have ravaged a popular tourist town and forced thousands from their homes. I visited Gatlinburg on a trip to Asheville NC, in 1980. Also, lots of hills in the area washed to bedrock by cloud burst and slides. 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. About 20 years ago, I hiked to Albright Grove, an old-growth hemlock forest near Greenbrier. Susan, But the NPS didnt even follow their own rules in this case. Five days is a generous amount of time to request and receive firefighters. NPS can suppress the first fire; but not the second fire? 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. That would mean your timeline of the last water drop would possibly vary 15-45 minutes depending on the helibase location and flight time to the dipsite. The Thomas Divide Complex Fire comprises two wildfires the 140-acre Stone Pile Fire and the Cooper Creek Fire, which is estimated to be 170 acres. I wish this would turn into the biggest Court case in history. One Person Dead After Downtown Gatlinburg Fire Sunday We watched local news and weather forecasts. Back home in West TN, when tornado warnings were active in a particular area there were loud sirens that went off. If Knox media wanted to go after the NPS or someone else wanted them to, it is possible that even their timeline and investigation is slanted. January 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm Blame, no. I have a lot of pictures to share via my blog. I am broken-hearted over it .. I am a management specialist and I understand how to plan, and implement risk-protection and safety in many kinds of settings, to address various threats to people. With all due respect to your comment, you seem to be a bit condescending toward some folks asking very legitimate questions; and giving the impression you are trying to the get the heat off the back of NPS officials. Charges dismissed against boys, ages 17 and 15 after Gatlinburg - WITI No pre-evacuation notice was sent so citizens could be ready to depart. Whose else is there? Visibility was so low that other car lights could barely be seen from oncoming cars. 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. As a mountain boy who loves the harshest terrain even I couldnt imagine trying to run a fire line in this area. That night after we arrived home we started getting text from friends showing fires at the Park Vista Hotel, then one from our neighbors across the street, he lives in Knoxville called and said he had been there at 5:30 P.M. this was on the 28th and when he left it was smokey but everything was still fine. He wanted us to pack and leave. The wind and the low visibility caused by the smoke made it impossible to fly aircraft over the fire. (Credit: Tom Williams), Two people in custody after police chase, manhunt near Warrior & Hayden, Protest held in memory of Glenn Foster Junior, Fire department K-9 dies during search and rescue mission. On November 27 the fire was a third of a mileas the crow flies from US Highway 441. Perhaps all the firefighters prior experience was giving them mental slides that were no longer valid given the conditions. It appears that only TEMA has the authority to give a notice over multiple counties, but they didnt take the lead until Monday night, after the fact. The 6pm and 7pm newscasts could have been leveraged by TEMA to order an evacuation then, before lines went down, power went out and cell towers on fire. Thats exactly what I plan on doing and recording the calls so that if they dont take action they an explain to the public why after getting all of these calls with people pleading for them to take action. However, they are using a Super Tanker to douse the flames going on down there. Emergency management should have been all over this from the very beginning. Thats perfect Johnny. 3:36 p.m. Gatlinburg Fire Department is going door-to-door asking residents to voluntarily evacuate to a Red Cross evacuation shelter set up at the Gatlinburg Community Center located at 156 . Ms. Schroer told us that additional firefighters were ordered on Sunday. Of course Dollywood and Gatlinburg was virtually unscathed. Fortunately, Wildfire Today and Knox News had both published detailed timelines about what happened and when, before the Sevier County DA cut off the info flow. It also led officials to. Our place was gone. I doubt it as the experience there is of fast moving potentially devastating fires. The GSMNP PR person announced at 2:02 pm that fires were expected to grow over the next 8 hours with wind gust of 85 mph. A true lackadaisical response. Lets just be careful about who they are in our criticism. Do we need to learn from it. Basically telling the press, the public and the injured families to go to hell. Thanks for the legwork. Early in the afternoon we began to see large crewcab pickup trucks driving past our home. The Incident Management Teams at Tellico, Rock Mountain and Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock fires had dead hemlocks near the trials knocked down (dynamite, cutting, other means theyre still working on it along the AT). 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. They are having a press conference this afternoon so perhaps there will be more transparency. and last updated 4:48 AM, Apr 05, 2022. I think anyone that is from this area could see this could be a very dangerous fire from the first day!! Many are willing to allow the absolute open permission to some to behave as they will without question, but are unwilling to allow others the same room to learn and grow. I was struck by the daunting task of creating a viable fire-prevention plan in that area of constant tourist turnover, and the way it is laid-out. This would explain why they are all covering for each other. We may never really know the truth about this situation just as with so many other current and prominent situations. If I had even been in the bathroom or downstairs I wouldve died . Below is the stateof access to the fire area, as reported by the IMT: The National Park is closed from the Gatlinburg Entrance to Smokemont near Oconaluftee (US 441, Newfound Gap) and Little River Road from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Townsend. I did not rely on a fire weather service for my information even though I new where to look, I used much of the common everyday information available to the open community, the data I had learned from and observed during the short time of being in this area, and current observations. Their chronological order of events doesnt match up with what some folks were observing posted on social media. We were there on Thanksgiving week-end. We had a contractor there working on improvements to our house. Being that were neighbors with these people, its people that we love. Stupidity is as stupidity does. Property owners still have the rights to protect their property. The GSMNP officials were able dodge the negligence and management shortcomings of the 2000 fatal black bear attack in Elkmont as well as discrediting and slandering a former District Law Enforcement Ranger who was involved in the incident. 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. All rights reserved. If you take a hands off approach with minimal management and indirectly Play God look out. It took the governor to get the lack of evac into the open, as local gov was trying to keep it out of the press. Apparently, when the second fire was started by the defendants on the 23rd, the NPS assumed they could handle the 23rd fire like they did the first fire of the 14th. It was as if time had passed with no motivational disaster to spur this awareness, at least not in my local community. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - On Friday, Gatlinburg city officials released a report detailing the downtown fire on Oct. 9 that killed one person and injured another. What did City officials not understand about the approaching danger? This country was founded on open respectful discussion, such as this which has occurred in this article commentary and blog comments. I was afraid to go into Park with boys. Even the Gatlinburg Fire Chief had been told on Sunday at 0900 that models had the fire hitting downtown Gatlinburg by Tuesday 1100. Instead simply took pictures on their phone, 3. If I had even been in the bathroom or downstairs I wouldve died . The report stated the roof started to collapse, and the building was deemed too unsafe to work inside. For the most part, the issues are with the Upper Brass. I know that because of my experience, my training, my ongoing learning and situational awareness of a host of related and seemingly unrelated knowledge. We had hiked to the Chimneys for the view many times it was easy to see the wind being funneled down from there to Gatlinburg just like an invisible whitewater river. There were cliffs in the area but firefighting Hotshot Crews can figure out how to work on steep slopes, sometimes backing off a bit, constructing a fire line and intentionally burning the fuel in between, preventing further expansion of the fire. Rippetoe hopes the destruction isnt there much longer and all businesses lost can return. For reference, 600 or above would indicate severe drought andincreased wildfire occurrence. Ever since Hurricane Katrina, I have doubted the ability of our emergency managers to plan for any aspect of, or kind of disaster, and the fire in Gatlinburg only supports my concerns. Visibility was bad and it was hard to breathe as we unpacked our truck. They need to be accountable for their inaction, and action. I learned so much from the Incident Management Team websites for the various big fires in the mountains (Cohuttas, Joyce Kilmer, Standing Indian, Boteler, Tellico, Party Rock, Pinnacle Mountain). View Google or Bing aerial photos of the past year hundreds of dead trees with the tale-tell circular pattern of limbs stands out against the foliage. All three incidents have a common denominator. Those probably did not finish burning for several days. I have an Gatlinburg address but the county services my street. Conspiracy, no. Fire erupts on both side of Highway 441 between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. Stantons car was full of gas and only has liability insurance. So many unanswered questions? Which is why human history keeps repeating itself over and over. There was two contributing factors to this disaster. The man at the Forestry base told him the winds were predicted to keep getting stronger and to be careful of falling limbs. And on top of all that, they have teams that stay and clean up after the fires, repairing dozer and fire lines to reflect natural terrain, knocking down trees that would be a hazard to hikers and hunters, repairing the roads that heavy equipment damaged. 6 to the intersection at Reagen Drive reopened Monday afternoon after being closed Sunday morning, according to a release. Once again: the questions remain unanswered. This fire as did others around this time had highly predictable potential for massive and rapid spread. Stumps burned into the ground and look like volcano caldera. Without sufficient safe zones being created in advance each road was easily blocked either by fire or debris. Jeanne: I do not disagree with your thought process regarding some of the broad challenges wildland fire mangers have faced in the past thirty some years. I can only hope that the actions are being undertaken somewhere and by the decision-makers and leaders to think and act differently. This is as far as this subject needs to go; for the objective of this site is in regard to wildfire. Take care and hang in there. Watch the pride and ego firefighters: youll never outmatch Gods elements. You can only manage one of those. The People have been deceived with a vague and biased investigation regarding this particular bear incident. 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. People responsible during the initial stages of the Chimney Top 2 wildfire need to be held accountable for violating these basic rules of fire physicsperiod. Why did they wait until Monday to do a voluntary a evacuation or were the city father is involved in the decision not to panic the thousands and thousands of people still there for the Thanksgiving holiday. I thought if we were have to leave we could take both vehicles to our friends house to sit out the night. Sitting in a Sevierville motel room for four days watching the fire chief, city mayor, city manager, and county mayor pat each other on the back for being Mountain Strong sickened me. What really was going on here? Im sorry but that initial fire management at the outset was atrocious. The radio conversation was fairly early in the day as I recall, maybe 7:30-8:00 am. The contractor who had been working outside on the house left as it got dark early because of the smoke. I left the professional fire service with 3o plus years of experience, yet with a still learning and observant mind. 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. Hong Kong skyscraper fire could mean $64M payout, cause under investigation I do not remember her name. Three people were killed and 14 others sent to area hospitals, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said Tuesday. It is the duty of the people and Congress to maintain and voice our concerns and opinions to where check and balances work. Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire. As they are minors, nothing else is known other than the Feds said the State could prosecute. How did I know that? There is a marked increase in smoke and decreasing visibility due to the smoke. Bob called. They didnt for one reason in my humble opinion: $$$ I certainly hope the investigation of the totality of fire is not pressured to conclude prematurely. level, in advance of this disaster had occured. Excellent report Dr. Gabbert. Things are changing slowly, and the human factors are unfortunately changing at a much slower pace than the climate and other socio-economic factors. The fire on Sunday caused extensive damage to a block of businesses and left some with only charred debris, news outlets reported, citing a statement from the city. I have here a firsthand account of how a homeowner, who lost her house, lived through the days before the fire and through the fire. At 10AM we drove to Sevierville to buy more materials (to eventually add to the bonfire). Unfortunately, Im not optimistic about the inter-agency review. Thank you for the timeline and the opportunity for comments. National Park Service says never push a slower friend down when escaping a bear, Knoxville utilities crews work to restore power after intense storms, Missing elderly Knoxville woman last seen at hospital, police say, Vols drop to 5-seed in SEC Tournament after falling at Auburn, 79-70. fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/2016/12/13/timeline-gatlinburg-wildfires/95138656/. I have seen local hiking pictures that appear to show two separate smoke columns on Saturday 11/26. If their destination is not lit, they have to land there no later than 30 minutes after sunset. This is a text book example of waiting for rain and not planning for WHAT IF! 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 spent two weeks in the area after the fire to inspect my property and ascertain where my wife and I would go from there. It appears that the Deputy has contradicted himself here. The forecasts are supposed to be detailed and customized predictions of the weather at a particular location, or spot, for at least the next two days. I told him there wasnt when I got there at 5 oclock but I could not even see driveways on the way up. We were still asleep when it happened. Thanks! National Park Service says never push a slower friend down when escaping a bear, Knoxville utilities crews work to restore power after intense storms, Missing elderly Knoxville woman last seen at hospital, police say, Vols drop to 5-seed in SEC Tournament after falling at Auburn, 79-70. the downtown fire on Oct. 9 that killed one person and injured another. When maintenance employees with GRSM drove past the Chimney Tops 2 Fire early Mondaymorning they saw that the intensity and rate of spread of the fire had increased dramatically. I told Stanton I wanted him to drive our truck up to top of mountain behind house to get it away from house and out from under so many trees. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages. Despite that, officials now say that the Gatlinburg fire began in the park and was. Its incredulous that evacuation didnt go out then. I found this blog and am so grateful to have an opportunity to reply and also to become informed from experienced, caring people of service in the firefighting effort. From just across the Smokies in Bryson City, N.C./Swain county. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Gatlinburg Fire Department and Gatlinburg Police Department officials are investigating. What the fire victims need is non-biased experts to analyze the BACKFIRES that the NPS claims they ignited to protect NPS structures. The two juveniles who set a fire are not alone in this. Drought, fall winds, fuel moistures that havent recovered in months, what part of this disaster was a surprise. Unfortunately, the good ole boy network, via the Sevier County DA, is trying to keep things in secret by cutting off all information after the the two teens were arrested, claiming such information could jeopordize the case against the teens. I looked at the NWS Forecast Discussion and told my sister They should order pre-evacuation before the wind gets strong.. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) Firefighters have found a body in the remains of a building that burned in . It is a sad state of affairs, the loss of life was quite avoidable. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages At the official Gatlinburg weather station recognized by the NWS 0.73 inch was recorded on Tuesday. When I built a home here just a few years ago and wanted to have a sprinkler system installed, I was told we dont have big wildfires here. My question to the Deputy Super: If the Chimney Tops Fire 2 of Nov 23rd to 28th, 2016 could not have been extinguished before the winds came; and there was plenty of time to act before the winds came; then how come GSMNP fire crews apparently extinguished the first Chimney Tops Fire of Nov 12/13th, 2016? Where is his accountability? Collaboration, open thinking and creativeness are key. The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. I was nervous about it. A couple of weeks after hearing no hardcore news from Knox News, I wrote the editor asking if the News was still doing hardcore investigation of the fire. There are a lot of excellent experienced fire management staff working for the Park Service. Why did they wait until Monday to do a voluntary a evacuation or were the city father is involved in the decision not to panic the thousands and thousands of people still there for the Thanksgiving holiday. Even life-long locals said they had never seen rhododendren wither up before. Superintendent Cash says the NPS has no jurisdiction to issue evacuations for the City of Gatlinburg. Virtually no one knows they have it and THEY DID NOT USE IT. Out east our experience is usually ground fire with relatively less risk of widespread destruction. Im thankful to be tuned in. Experience by itself often lends to complacency and been there done that thinking. Ive ranted about the comparison to how Chimney Tops and Gatlinburg was handled by GSMNP and TEMA. Unfortunately this isnt always the case. I called Bob back and told him I was leaving hurriedly and that I would call him when we had made it out of woods to Pigeon Forge. The successes, and the losses, the poor decisions, the mistakes, the error and the failures. The helicopter worked until it had to refuel and then two other Type 1 helicopters took its placeuntil dark. Google and Bing maps give a pretty good idea of the expanse of dead hemlocks. I learned that it is extremely difficult to manage, rather than suppress, a wildland fire for an extended period of time. In a time in which the NPS and all other government agencies are under attack and certain factions are seeking to replace all our government agencies with private for profit industry I would not ignore the possibility of anything. Lose their jobs over this? I bet someone of you one here would sing a different tune if you loss a big chunk of your retirement because of someone incompetence. Jeannine, its obvious that you write from the heart, and you write so well it is indeed inspirational. The American publics outcry owe that much to the those whom lost loved ones, disrupted lives, destroyed both human property and natural resources in Gatlinburg, Tennessee during the Chimney Top 2 wildfire, November, 2016.