who caused the gatlinburg fires?

It works like an Amber Alert to people who download the app and sign up. NO managing wildfire is much more complex, especially in a multiple fire drought driven incident like managers were dealing with on this incident. Tennessee firefighters find dead body in remains of Gatlinburg building GRSM firefighters spotted the new fire as they returned from responding to a report of a vehicle fire. When boys and I got back home around 3:45, the winds were beginning to pick up and branches were beginning to fall. I guess they are helping the people they always help and the rest of us are out of luck. I parked truck right beside a big mound of rip rap that Bob had dumped for lining the ditches on sides of our neighborhood roads, which arent through roads. Youve certainly added much food for thought. There isn't one specific cause behind the fires, Boyd said. Body found in rubble of Gatlinburg fire - wtvq.com I convinced my husband to drive back toward our house to see if we could see the fire. My prayers are with all of you. We are to be stewards of the land. At this time, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials were contacted, according to the report. What makes one golden and one not? As one who has had experience and ready mix, concrete block, pavers, and pre-cast, one would be a fool to rebuild on ANY existing foundation that came in contact with temperatures approaching 3,000F. How did I know that? That is when I said to myself Where the hell is TEMA?. Will there be an independent, non-federal agency, through,unbiased, unedited final incident management and serious accident investigation? Gatlinburg businesses look to rebuild after massive fire. In fact, Monday afternoon several rental agencies were telling reservation customers to come on to Gatlinburg (news documented). I can hear it now, hasnt the NPS learned anything in the past 10-20 yrs? Cleanup continued Tuesday, with crews piling up rubble near Traffic Light 6 on the Gatlinburg Pkwy. Thanks again for your touching reply. It was pretty frightening. Obviously spent no time in the military so they didnt know how to field dress A cigarette and pack it out. 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. Floods, tornadoes, severe storms, wildfires, mudslides, hurricanes, what else?, all present risks to humans and their property which require different degrees of political management and oversight in our various muncipalities to keep us safe or to help us recover if we suffer consequences when we arent kept safe. On-the-ground fire suppression activity took place Monday when firefighters took defensive action to protect structures at a nearby GRSM picnic area. There are thousands and thousands of people who feel as I do about your loss and the losses of so many people in Gatlinburg and the surrounding area. The fire was approximately 8 acres in size, according to GRSM. I told her when she does mine about my rebuild and my crooked contractor I will speak plenty about the ineptness of the NPS and local fire officials. 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. I visited Gatlinburg on a trip to Asheville NC, in 1980. 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 Very well put Mari. November 27th, 35 acres. GATLINBURG, Tenn. UPDATE (Monday): Firefighters discovered a body in the rubble of these fires, our ABC affiliate WATE reported Monday morning. It appears that the Deputy has contradicted himself here. However, to expect her to honor the NPS is inappropriate considering reality and her circumstances. This area was in the process of being logged prior to the wildfire, (supposedly started by a logging train) of 1925. Those people have their head in a hole, a burned out tree stump hole the very definition of ignore-ance. Most events have a series of issues that contribute to the outcome, the more catastrophic the event the greater the number of contributing factors. I checked historical aerial photos on the USGS website because the die-off of the hemlock has been primarily over the past 10 years in the southeastern Appalachians. 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. 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 . We could smell smoke from the fires in NC for a month before the fire began on Chimney Tops. Are they learning how to use it? Most of those people got out of the pre-evac zone just to be safe and watch the fire at a distance. 10/10/22, 1:56 p.m. If I had even been in the bathroom or downstairs I wouldve died . The wind remained at moderate strength on Wednesday with gusts decreasing from 37 at 3 a.m. to the lower teens by the end of the day. Needless to say one tanker run can drop more water than two helicopters can do in a full day. 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 had these thoughts: if fire spreads from Chimney Tops and starts coming towards Gatlinburg, people are going to be getting gas and getting out. I told him there wasnt when I got there at 5 oclock but I could not even see driveways on the way up. We stopped long enough to make sure they saw the fire coming and proceeded on down the mountain. Honor those who have risked much to help, indeed. Nonetheless, your observations on the 21st indicate that no signs of the 14th fire were present; and if the NPS did fully suppress the first fire, their timeline was undoubtedly non-aggressive to do so. God doesnt cut financial budgets. But instead great risks were taken through basic inaction and the consequences were disastrous. Bob had stayed in West TN after Thanksgiving, to work there for a few days before returning home so he wasnt with us. Rain began falling late Monday night and continued until 6 a.m. Tuesday, totaling 0.78 inch at Indian Grave. And no doubt books both factual and not on this event. So who would you blame the people that died, wildlife and homeowners. Instead, the city ordered evacuation of the neighborhoods nearest the NPS day use area that was on fire (Mynatt Park and others). There could be falling trees. People in our country must get this, because for all the overwhelming issues in our country today, they keep voting many of the same politicians back into office over and over and over again expecting a different outcome. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates. Much needed rainfall is expected on Monday with additional rainfall possible through Wednesday. The use of smokejumpers could be part of the plan. The NPS protected themselves and other special interest groups as well. We had somewhat of a plan but both agreed that if we had a warning or concern we would leave because of our location and our neighborhood has no fire hydrants. And I dont write about that many of them. Would it be wise to implement backfire with such strong winds forecasted on top of exceptional drought and fuels? Me, like thousands of Buckeyes make the five-hour trek to Tennessee for family [] It must have been Sunday, because a Type 1 team came in on Tuesday. 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. Tennessee Wildfire Cause: Gatlinburg Fires May Have Been Man-Made I repeat The NPS and the Fire Chief of Gatlinburg should have started fighting the Chimney Tops 2 fire aggressively the day it was discovered. Mike I appreciate what you said about a time and season for prescribed/monitored fire, and we need prescribed fire in the toolbox. But it is very important to point out that the fire that burned into Gatlinburg was never a prescribed fire. I was in my cabin the night of the fire and if I had spotted it a minute or so after I did I would not be alive to type this right now. Mr. Cash cant order an evac, but he could have made a recommendation. One person was found dead Sunday. I am glad so many are taking a look at this situation, and hopefully never loosing sight of the intention to improvement and a better way. Thanks for the legwork. Breathing between car and house was hard. . These people both the successful along with the ones who erred and experienced failure, courageously risked being vulnerable in order to help others. I thought if we were have to leave we could take both vehicles to our friends house to sit out the night. Wednesday, November 23, the day the fire started. My boys and I do not have images of wildfires that we would have seen had we waited to leave home. Can we allow room for others to fail forward? If it was felt that people on this fire were at risk then dont staff the fire. Where was all the HELP TO PUT THIS FIRE OUT A WHEN IT STARTED???? Jon Binhammer had an excellent point about the hemlocks. The learning system of resolution. I am here at the opportunity on a couple of occasions to speak to the Fire Chief of Ontario Michigan. Were here to rally and support those people until they can get back up on their feet, said Laura Rippetoe of the Gatlinburg Inn. I am trying to learn everything I can and hope to find an avenue to serve in this cause in some small way as most of you have and are serving in major, ways, risking your lives. All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect. If you take a hands off approach with minimal management and indirectly Play God look out. After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire. There are a lot of downed trees and a lot of trails are temporarily closed to deal with them. You are aware that Bill Gabbert the Editor of Wildfire Today spent a large part of his fire carrier with the Park Service where I believe he was served on a nationwide Type I IMT. Im sure there will be lots of finger pointing, name calling pushing for blame and then legal actions. View all posts by Bill Gabbert. 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. The winds that Monday afternoon had knocked power lines down and early reporting made mention of separate ignition points in the residential hillsides. The more we let our selves be vulnerable and courageous in the face of tough situations, the more chance that we have that we will fall, and we will; we all will at some point if we take that risk to be brave and courageous. California couple whose gender-reveal party sparked a wildfire charged That is when it began moving rapidly toward Gatlinburg. The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. Take my word for it, Ive seen back scratching going on down there for over 40 years. That said I have been an avid backpack or in hiker who has done probably every trail in the Smokies many times over. Their inter-agency investigation needs to look at the 1st Chimney Tops Fire of the 12/13th to the 17th of November 2016. This is how we all get better at what we do and are. I just assumed that others would be leaving Gatlinburg out of concerns similar to mine. There are a lot of excellent experienced fire management staff working for the Park Service. 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. I would describe this as flooding in Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg Tennessee, but certainly heavy rain rising the water levels throughout. As a contractor I worked with a Dunes engine in Michigan MI years ago. This fire season is a perfect example of why we do not need to lynch and discard those who have erred but gained highly valuable experience in the process. a wind and weather event like they got, that resulted in fire spread that resulted the the state TEMA command center to have to relocate in the middle of the incident gives a picture of what they were dealing with. The fire continued to spread throughout the entire structure. From an all hazards POV large scale fire should have been recognized long before any drought conditions. The excellent Park folks seemed to just monitor it, and it resolved itself. 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. Even the courts of law no longer put as heavy weight on personal testimony, as so much has been proven to so easily be manipulated and affected by a host of factors. Death toll from Tenn. wildfires rises to 14 - CBS News 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. Tommy Kirkland says: We must change our minds first and then we must change our actions. Especially our local emergency workers and the Park Service. On Friday, Gatlinburg city officials released a report detailing the downtown fire on Oct. 9. Whose else is there? Neither the NPS nor the city wanted CNN cameras covering a mass evacuation of a town jam packed with tourists on Thanksgiving weekend. I am thankful so many are not only opening their eyes here, but taking action and questioning. That should have been done over Thanksgiving! The actual clifts are small and easily avoided. Those strong southerly winds had been forecast a good two days before the fire broke through into the developed areas. A mandatory evacuation should have been issued, at the latest, Monday morning, with reverse 911 calls, as well as loudspeaker equipped vehicles. The multiple chain of events you refer to is also simple, two juvenile delinquents set the fire, the park service knew it existed and they did absolutely nothing to put it out. I have for years pointed out to my students the dead hemlock all over the mountain. The forecast issued Sunday included this text in the Discussion section: High pressure will hang on for Sunday with sunny skies and above normal temperatures. Bob and I had discussions about what we would do if we were to be surprised by wildfires up Beech Branch Road with no warning. Nonetheless, it is obvious to some folks that the NPS did not act aggressive enough on this fire. Most excellently put, Jeannine (you are an exceptional writer). All rights reserved. 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? It is very hard and slow to navigate through laurel stands and the thick Tennesee Barbed Wire Briar patches. Hemlocks were mentioned in a number of daily updates on Inciweb because they are basically standing roman candles thanks to the spiral of limbs. In addition thorough explanations could have been given for the reasons for calling for the Voluntary Evacuation and could have been published. The person or people responsible for the fire have not yet been found. Firefighters from Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge responded. 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. We all contribute to this phenomenon if not intentionally but unintentionally, simply by the design of our brains! If the defendants didnt ignite the 14th fire, who did and is this 14th fire under investigation? National Park Service Supervisory Park Ranger (Protection) in The extremely dry conditions in the area, though, should have raised the concern level. Their lack of extended skill training is apparent. Report: Gatlinburg fire caused $7 million in damages If an aircraft will be en route to a lit helibase or airport, they can drop 30 minutes after sunset then fly to the lit facility. The Gatlinburg Space Needle fire (July 1992) In 1992, a fire destroyed Ripley's Gatlinburg Museum which was, at the time, located at the base of the needle. The dead hemlock had to have been of huge impact to the fire. The town I live in in Kentucky has a $500 fine for tossing a cigarette out the window and we do not even have The potential for many brushfires. Gatlinburg Fire 2016: The Start. On the evening of the fire, I was monitoring tornadic storms across northern Mississippi because my family were driving to Within a few days or week prior to this deadly fire I heard a local major Knoxville radio station broadcasting a satire bashing HRC, Obama, the Federal Government among a few other controversial things, and how the revolution has begun including the incitement of burning down the place, this Knoxville radio station followed this rant with songs whose lyrics tough-ted and instructed the starting of fires. Over 130 sustained injuries, and 1,684 structures have been damaged or destroyed. (Originally published at 11:04 a.m. MST November 23 . We are facing some very large problems around our globe and in our own home communities, that will require some out of the box thinking and collaboration, some tough questions, and a lot of personal accountability review and growth. Visibility was bad and it was hard to breathe as we unpacked our truck. I fully understand the financial difficulties of the NPS and with firefighters abroad. 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. A map posted with the Fire Information sign dated November 27 showed that the park hoped to stopthe fire before it crossed the bottom of drainages on the west, north and east sides, and the Chimney Tops Trail to the south. 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. 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). And the list goes on. This is just one more example of one more related issue that is seemingly un-connected until you delve into the issues deeply. 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. Those probably did not finish burning for several days. 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 will verify renters and lease holders, as needed. I was on the phone w them that Mon. 1,000 feet of rise / 0.2 mile (1,056 feet) is a slope of 94.7%, not 77%. It would be interesting to dig a little further on this. Brush fires spread across multiple counties this afternoon in Southwest Florida due to high winds. Try to stay neutral I understand; but the NPS has a track record of avoiding accountability. To repeat what you have already said, people on the mountain especially Chalet Village north, no longer feel safe . 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. 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. Personally, I have already started reconstruction on my cabin but the consensus on Chalet Village north which was 540 cabins and now stands only at 20 remaining Is that about 70% are not rebuilding for a variety of reasons . Person killed in downtown Gatlinburg fire identified Easy for many of you to sit back and Monday morning quarterback when you dont have skin in the game as I did. If they had taken action the day it started instead of now using the excuse of the rough terrain, yeah it is but so is most mountain areas. Im hoping at this point, its going to be pretty quick. The People have been deceived with a vague and biased investigation regarding this particular bear incident. Screenshot from the Knox News video. The lines between reality and virtual reality or fake reality are so blurred. Downtown Gatlinburg fire: Experts identify remains found in rubble Back home in West TN, when tornado warnings were active in a particular area there were loud sirens that went off. Who was responsible for Gatlinburg fire? SOURCE Like this: Loading. The report concluded that the fire was an accident; however, officials said the investigation was limited because the building was not structurally sound. 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. First of all I was very concerned when the wildfires started over in North Carolina, in some of the National Forest that border Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge wildfire evacuation information - WJBF Now he has the benefit of another 60 to 90 days of another investigation before anything officially or otherwise will be said. During fire suppression efforts, crews found one person dead inside the structure. Any time our community suffers a great loss or devastation like this, it impacts everybody, she said. The city and the county has always been about one thing. 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. This is one of the wettest areas in the entire US, and when you do not not receive a drop of rain for months on end, you know something bad is going to happen. My nightmare depicted more what happened in Gatlinburg than so far in Branson. Who knows what the climate will bring next year. 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.

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