Before the forest fires in the southeast this fall, I didnt know very much about wildfire fighting management (other than a bit from a mountain rescue EMT friend in Colorado and a friend that helps with prescribed burns for Georgia Conservancy). Accountability! level, in advance of this disaster had occured. Tough questions like, Why did it take so long for community leaders to activate burn bans in spite of the extreme drought conditions, fuel loads, number of arson fires and the regional outbreak of fires, the social nature of this crime, and other related events. We must open our eyes and ears and check behind each corner and crevice to see the reality and not just the story being told by a few. I think this is more often than not the case. While I had the privilege is having dinner with the NPS director at a prescribed fire conference I am just a retired rx fire practitioner. I hope the recordings werent pulled under threat of someones attorney or the DA. Case in point is our European religious history. All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect. It is a truism that many people want all the benefits of government, but dont want to pay for them. 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. Its community and people that have jobs. At 10AM we drove to Sevierville to buy more materials (to eventually add to the bonfire). The fire on Sunday caused extensive damage to a block of . Would it not be more beneficial to hold accountability by insuring that analysis of cause and effect and learning take place; that change is done where change is needed? They should not be excused because they did not escape the consequences this time of their lax policies and their actual failure to follow the procedures they should have followed. Also. At 2 a.m. Monday the wind speeds recorded at Indian Grave began increasing and the direction became more consistently out of the south and southwest. I can only say that I had no peace at all whatsoever after the first word I heard of the terrible fire there .. Money and CNN. It is unfortunate that sometimes a few seek to blame someone so quickly that they miss the opportunity to really get to the root of the causes for those issues in the first place. How far from the Chimney Tops, as the crow flies, were these pictures taken? A lot of personnel put forth heroic efforts to save lives and we should all be grateful for that. 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. This country was founded on open respectful discussion, such as this which has occurred in this article commentary and blog comments. I am astounded at the amount of information, expertise, warning, and awareness of imminent danger was present and available in this situation. They had the same weather forecast information. Gatlinburg fire 10/9/2022: One body found after Parkway blaze My family lives 15 mi. I was afraid to go into Park with boys. I hold you in my thoughts and prayers for healing and recovery there are others who have posted about their losses on this blog, Kelly for one, and I did not give myself peymidfipn to say these words to them at the time .. Not to mention all the fallen limbs on the ground beneath them. 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! Body found amid rubble of Sunday's major fire in Gatlinburg What caused the fire in the Smoky Mountains? The People have been deceived with a vague and biased investigation regarding this particular bear incident. I get free speech, but if I yelled fire in a crowded theater when there was none and it contributed to death and injury I too would be held liable; my speech would not be protected! GATLINBURG, Tenn. UPDATE (Monday): Firefighters discovered a body in the rubble of these fires, our ABC affiliate WATE reported Monday morning. 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. She said smoke had been super heavy. Local officials dont seem to learn from past experiences, nor plan well for possible dangers. Many on that team are not NPS employees, but are highly experienced wildfire fighters. Another example from my own experience which has been rocked by bias and blatant failure to receive appropriate support and assistance when asked for; causing issues to occur that were later simply blown way out of proportion with conspired lies in order to protect and cover up the real underlying issues and people. Heavy Rain In Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg Tennessee (March 2023) Of course they wont. Corker and Alexander know what would happen if they tried to interfere with a Federal prosecution! Thus, private, State, or other agencies get left holding the bag, as it were. 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. 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 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. So because of his and other incompetence property owners are paying the price. Only we, the people, the voters, can force change by raising our collective voices by repeatedly demanding the governor and Congress take action now! 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. 119K views 4 months ago GATLINBURG Many people get worried when they hear the words Gatlinburg and Fire in the same sentence. Triage of resource needs versus values at risk, firefighter safety, resource values and political realities all come into play. What Caused The Gatlinburg Fire - BikeHike Our place was gone. We drove west down the parkway. Thats totally untrue. Still cant seem to get any answers if the BACKFIRES got out of control when the NPS ignited them contributing to the loss of life and structures in Gatlinburg??? Who will accuse and then fire then? Now I am tasked with trying to motivate and coordinate the local fire departments much of who are volunteer, the state and national forest professionals to work with me and the community. The fire gutted the entire city block and closed a dozen businesses. 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. After the fact they called in helicopters to dump water on the fire which is what they should have done in the first place and didnt, WHY NOT? At the official Gatlinburg weather station recognized by the NWS 0.73 inch was recorded on Tuesday. China Bazaar, Pucker's Sports Grill, Gifts of . At this time, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials were contacted, according to the report. Firefighters from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge responded. There are a lot of excellent experienced fire management staff working for the Park Service. There will be no access to Wiley Oakley or Westgate from the Spur. Despite that, officials now say that the Gatlinburg fire began in the park and was. On Monday morning we awoke to the smell of smoke. They are as Brene Brown puts it, In The Arena; not merely sitting in a seat watching it or viewing from a comfort zone at home on the big screen but in the Arena risking everything for others. Or in steep cliff terrain it just isnt going to happen, no one on the fire. 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. They were in their driveway with a water hose. The Gatlinburg fire chief put out a notice for additional help to come to Gatlinburg around 11:52 pm. The wildfire began burning in a remote location of the park (Chimney Tops) in steep terrain with vertical cliffs and narrow rocky ridges, making access to the wildfire area . We need to question everything and everyone with the same tenacious veracity as the other, but we also need to allow for humans to be human, and engage in the process of learning. Instead, the city ordered evacuation of the neighborhoods nearest the NPS day use area that was on fire (Mynatt Park and others). Anticipating the fire season, firefighting resources (people and equipment) were brought in from around the Southeast and other parts of the country. Chalet Village Gatlinburg, Tommy there is a class action lawsuit being formulated by a Knoxville attorney. GRSM posted Fire Information signs in the area explaining their monitoring strategy due to vertical cliffs, narrow rock ridges and steep drainages. My boys and I do not have images of wildfires that we would have seen had we waited to leave home. Great job on this website, it is very informative and I recommend it to everyone in the business. 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. Downtown Gatlinburg Fire at Puckers Sports Grill & More (OCT 9, 2022) IMT issued pre-evacuation notices in GA and NC each time they saw cold-front winds approaching that could would threaten communities. Gatlinburg Fire 2016: The Start. You have my utmost respect for firefighting; and Ive recently addressed a firefighter who was an apparent spokesman for the local media patty-caking. But the condition of the fuel was also important since it happenedduring what the National Weather Service (NWS) calls exceptional drought conditions. Jon Binhammer had an excellent point about the hemlocks. 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. So they were more concerned about NPS structures than our homes and lives? For reference, 600 or above would indicate severe drought andincreased wildfire occurrence. State charges dropped in Gatlinburg fires - Smoky Mountain News 2 min read. 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. Waited a month to report this event and turn over the pictures they took to forestry officials! Kelly, Lloyd and anyone else that had home and/or businesses losses from the fire, tell everyone involved to write and/or call the governors office about what is going on. I know that because of my experience, my training, my ongoing learning and situational awareness of a host of related and seemingly unrelated knowledge. The smoke steadily became thicker as the days passed and friends were showing pictures of the Chimneys on fire. On November 27 the fire was a third of a mileas the crow flies from US Highway 441. Blame, no. I was nervous about it. They were asleep at the wheel. Perhaps he needs a bit of prompting to remind him that the public will not forget what happened. It seems that not even people in western areas have learned that lesson very well, and now it is time for those with homes and property in the east to realize they are at risk too. I told him I would call fire department in Gatlinburg across from Food City. Over 130 sustained injuries, and 1,684 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Lose their jobs over this? Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages. From what I understand, the adelgid spreads from tree to tree via the ground, which is why young hemlocks with smooth bark are rarely infested with adelgid. Officials identified Robert A. Hejny, 63, who was found at Traveler's Motel in Gatlinburg. We were there on Thanksgiving week-end. Approximately 14,000 residents were originally forced to evacuate. They have tied their hands and resources through environmental forestry management. A lot of chainsawing has been going on. Suffice it to say betting against individual as well as class-action instruments being utilized against local and federal officials would be as unlikely as betting that the sun wont rise tomorrow. As a contractor I worked with a Dunes engine in Michigan MI years ago. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. Concerning the time the fire jumped 441. The Bob Stanton that has been commenting on this thread is NOT the former director of the NPS. Too old to start over, fear it could happen again and they could be in their home like I was, or out and out mistrust of local government.