IMT issued pre-evacuation notices in GA and NC each time they saw cold-front winds approaching that could would threaten communities. Those businesses were also protected from the fire. A true lackadaisical response. It was considered a total loss after yesterdays fire. We stopped beside the truck and rolled down our window. Wildfire experts have been warning local government officials about the potential for a fire of this magnitude for years. Shelter locations could have been announced, especially encouraging people to take action during the daylight hours that day so that escaping in total darkness during an inferno of fire or not having the means to do so would not be forced on people, and they could make arrangements for their own safety. 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. However, by the time a federal judge dropped the charges six months later, some had lost focus on the fire. When the simple laws of fire physics and chemistry correctly combine, fuel, heat, oxygen, and in the wildland fire arena available fuels, topography and ideal fire weather conditions mix in perfect alignment plus given adequate TIME, a-bine unattended campfire, an arsonists match, or a slowly backing down-slope surface fire in leaf litter during a record setting drought will ultimately result in a disastrous conflagration. I guess they must think when you have to go up there to handle this mess they caused that you dont need lodging, food or gas to get there. So far, this week's tragic Tennessee wildfires have caused at least seven deaths, injured at least 50 more, and damaged or destroyed over 700 structures, a good portion of them in the city of Gatlinburg. One thing Id add: the county is allowing residents that lost their home to use their existing block or poured foundation as long as they have one of their local cemetacious experts test it and approve it. Tom. Hindsight is 20/20 and of course much coulda woulda shoulda is understandable. Along with other Park issues like un-managed timber (very limited burns, mostly fields, not forested areas), we concluded the saying demolition by neglect. This is a complicated incident where many lessons can be learned. Branches were hitting the house with a great deal of force. 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? How many have died in the gatlinburg forest fire? - JacAnswers At that time their were no burn permits or building permit requirements either. One question I have not seen asked is why any adult would have witnessed children playing with matches and lighting fires especially under the obvious conditions in this situation and 1. not taken immediate action 2. Many on that team are not NPS employees, but are highly experienced wildfire fighters. Thanks again for your touching reply. The helicopter worked until it had to refuel and then two other Type 1 helicopters took its placeuntil dark. This would explain why they are all covering for each other. I have an Gatlinburg address but the county services my street. It predicted wind gusts out of the south Monday morning of 25 mph, increasing atnoonto30 mph and to 40 mph by 6 p.m. We may never really know the truth about this situation just as with so many other current and prominent situations. Yes, some the ridges connecting to chimney-tops had dead hemlock stands. 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. 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. 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. Fire crews were dispatched to a structure fire around 6:30. Our government has been paying these communications companies millions in tax breaks and tax dollars to provide cellular and other affordable services to rural America, and they are failing to do so or providing the services at outrageous rates. An in depth investigation should be launched and the (ir)responsible parties identified. 2 min read. Our world is complex and it is a system of interacting parts, we all need to start thinking more globally (meaning systemic and how each part interacts with the other) in our processes and understand how each choice, decision and action we take personally and as a group affect all the other parts. Attorney: Arson charges against teens in fatal Gatlinburg wildfire dropped We really need to stop being so quick to cut of the heads of people doing their jobs and instead insist that they learn from and make changes for the better. 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. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to stand up. All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect. Bill thank you the excellent i sight and info that is hard to find publicly. That afternoon a Chinook Type 1 helicopter (Type 1s are the largest helicopters used on wildfires) began dropping water on the fire, refilling at Fontana Lake 13 miles to the southwest, according to a source we talked to who didnt want their name disclosed because they were not authorized to speak on the subject. What Caused The Gatlinburg Fire - BikeHike Please keep in mind our commenting ground rules before you post a comment. Not even 5 years ago over 60 homes burned in one night in Wears Valley when fire spread from house to house, in the fall, during a high wind. And each structure became much more of a threat than the spreading ground fire ever was. How far from the Chimney Tops, as the crow flies, were these pictures taken? Whether a tornado, hurricane or natural disaster, it weighs on your psyche. We were there on Thanksgiving week-end. The fire was reported to be near the Twin Creeks Picnic Center at 1130. Deputy Park Superintendent Jordan Clayton said the initial fire on an area called Chimney Tops, a double peaked ridge line about 4 miles away from Gatlinburg, was caused by a person or. I would like to express that there are sincere and dedicated folks working for the National Park Service. Honor those who have risked much to help, indeed. 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. The fire burned 38,000 acres of state managed conservation areas and private timber lands. Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire. Why the Monday morning quarterbacks seems to always get it right, while those in the game make the errors and the scores, winning and losing. Many fire managers in that situation would immediately attack emerging fires very aggressively with overwhelming force, that is, many firefighters on the ground assisted by numerous aircraft dropping water or fire retardant. 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. I doubt it as the experience there is of fast moving potentially devastating fires. there is nothing that can address the failure of leadership at every level that contributed to that loss of life. Then, a few days later they had the full timeline article and info about the NPS not following its own protocols. This is a text book example of waiting for rain and not planning for WHAT IF! That is when I said to myself Where the hell is TEMA?. Pacific Buddhist Academy set to hold 17th annual Taiko Festival, the 14th annual Kualoa Hakipuu canoe festival back after a few years of kind of being shuttered because of the pandemic. Me, like thousands of Buckeyes make the five-hour trek to Tennessee for family [] I have been walking the woods around Gatlinburg a lot since the Fire. What caused the Gatlinburg wildfire? - al.com Death toll rises to 13 in Tennessee wildfires as grim search for I have to assume that the city of Gatlinburg felt that since my road was county property that I was on my own. Suddenly a fire truck from Harriman came careening around the corner and headed up Turkey Nest Road. We watched local news and weather forecasts. 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. level, in advance of this disaster had occured. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the GFD, Gatlinburg Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. 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. Many structures were lost- thankfully no lives. Very well put Mari. I just hope, like Jeannine, that fire managers can learn from this tragedy because we really need the tool of prescribed fire in the tool box. The terrain was steep, a vertical distance of 1,300 feet from the bottom of the drainages to the top of the hill. I hope they end up being involved in the biggest lawsuit anyone has ever seen! State charges dropped in Gatlinburg fires - Smoky Mountain News It was probably 4:45 by this time.