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Gatlinburg Wildfires Force Evacuations in Tennessee Gatlinburg Wildfires Force Evacuations in Tennessee
(about 1 hour later)
Wildfires in Tennessee damaged dozens of buildings overnight, forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes as crews fought the blazes and smoke that blanketed the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Wildfires in Tennessee damaged hundreds of buildings overnight, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes as hundreds of firefighters battled the blazes and smoke that blanketed the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
A statement released early Tuesday morning by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said that the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, as well as other parts of Sevier County, in the eastern part of the state, had been evacuated. A statement released Tuesday morning by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said that the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, as well as other parts of Sevier County, in the eastern part of the state, had been evacuated.
Dramatic videos shot by residents showed flames lining the edge of the highways used for evacuations. The agency said it was likely that more than 14,000 people had left Gatlinburg alone. Dramatic videos shot by residents showed flames lining the edge of the highways used for evacuations.
The statement said that about 100 houses and 30 businesses had been impacted by the fire. Dean Flener, an emergency management spokesman, said those numbers were likely to rise. An earlier statement said that about 100 houses and 30 businesses had been impacted by the fire. Dean Flener, an emergency management spokesman, said those numbers were likely to rise.
“As it hits daylight and officials are able to look at the damage, there’s going to be hundreds of structures in the county that have had some type of devastation or have been destroyed by the wildfires,” he said.“As it hits daylight and officials are able to look at the damage, there’s going to be hundreds of structures in the county that have had some type of devastation or have been destroyed by the wildfires,” he said.
No deaths and few injuries had been reported as of Tuesday morning. Even as rain began to fall in the morning, the fires continued to rage.
Gatlinburg is a resort town about 50 miles from Knoxville at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee. Nearby Pigeon Forge is home to the Dollywood theme park and water park. Both towns feature Christmas entertainment, drawing visitors from around the country. No deaths had been reported as of Tuesday morning, the emergency agency said, and four people with burns had been transported to hospitals. The agency said that about 11,600 people had been left without power in Sevier County.
Casey Wheeless, a local journalist, reported that workers were still attempting to reach the animals that had to be left behind at Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg. Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement that the state was providing coordinated resources to help those affected by the fires.
On Twitter, the National Park Service announced that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had “closed all facilities in the park due to the extensive fire activity, and downed trees.”
Gatlinburg is a resort town about 50 miles from Knoxville at the national park’s base in eastern Tennessee. Nearby Pigeon Forge is home to the Dollywood theme park and water park. Both towns feature Christmas-themed entertainment at this time of year, drawing visitors from around the country.
A high-wind warning was in effect for Sevier County until the early morning. Showers and thunderstorms were projected to fall in the early afternoon.
Rep. Jason Zachary, a congressman from Tennessee’s 14th district, praised emergency medical workers for pouring into Sevier County, and said he was praying that rainy weather would quench the fire. He also sent prayers out to the emergency medical workers.
“We evacuate, they run toward the danger,” he said on Twitter, offering his thanks.
Casey Wheeless, a local journalist, reported that workers were still attempting to reach the animals and sealife that had to be left behind at Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg.
Residents of Sevier county are being asked to not use their cellphones except for emergency, to avoid taxing the local network.
The fires spread through Tennessee as much of the South has been enduring a crippling drought, even though rainfall this week offered some relief. The United States Drought Monitor reported last week that 60 percent of Tennessee was in “exceptional” or “extreme” drought, the two most severe ratings.The fires spread through Tennessee as much of the South has been enduring a crippling drought, even though rainfall this week offered some relief. The United States Drought Monitor reported last week that 60 percent of Tennessee was in “exceptional” or “extreme” drought, the two most severe ratings.
That was substantially worse than just a week earlier, when 35 percent of the state fell into one of those categories.That was substantially worse than just a week earlier, when 35 percent of the state fell into one of those categories.
Conditions are not much better in neighboring states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina all have areas of “exceptional” drought, and crews have been fighting wildfires across the South for weeks.Conditions are not much better in neighboring states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina all have areas of “exceptional” drought, and crews have been fighting wildfires across the South for weeks.
In Georgia, for instance, where tens of thousands of acres have burned, the state has imposed harsh outdoor watering restrictions in the Atlanta area.In Georgia, for instance, where tens of thousands of acres have burned, the state has imposed harsh outdoor watering restrictions in the Atlanta area.
Wildfires, once a seasonal phenomenon, have become a consistent threat, partly because climate change has resulted in drier winters and warmer springs, which combine to pull moisture off the ground and into the air.Wildfires, once a seasonal phenomenon, have become a consistent threat, partly because climate change has resulted in drier winters and warmer springs, which combine to pull moisture off the ground and into the air.
In January, Tom Vilsack, the United States agriculture secretary noted the increasing frequency of wildfires in the United States in 2015.
“We take our job to protect the public seriously, and recently, the job has become increasingly difficult due to the effects of climate change, chronic droughts and a constrained budget environment in Washington,” he said.