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| Gatlinburg Wildfires Force Evacuations: ‘It Was Like Driving Into Hell’ | Gatlinburg Wildfires Force Evacuations: ‘It Was Like Driving Into Hell’ |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — Wildfires spread by high winds and enabled by a drought in Tennessee damaged hundreds of buildings overnight, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes as firefighters battled the blazes and smoke that blanketed the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Three people died, officials said. | |
| A statement from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said that by Tuesday morning, more than 14,000 people had left Gatlinburg, and more had been evacuated from nearby Pigeon Forge as well as other parts of Sevier County, in the eastern part of the state. | A statement from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said that by Tuesday morning, more than 14,000 people had left Gatlinburg, and more had been evacuated from nearby Pigeon Forge as well as other parts of Sevier County, in the eastern part of the state. |
| Dramatic videos shot by residents showed flames lining the edge of the highways used for evacuations. | Dramatic videos shot by residents showed flames lining the edge of the highways used for evacuations. |
| “Everywhere you looked, there were fires everywhere. It was like driving into hell,” said Rain Moore, 32, a lieutenant with the Sneedville Fire Department, about an hour and a half away. | “Everywhere you looked, there were fires everywhere. It was like driving into hell,” said Rain Moore, 32, a lieutenant with the Sneedville Fire Department, about an hour and a half away. |
| Mr. Moore said he arrived about 1 a.m. on Tuesday and, while fighting the fire in the darkness, saw orange flames burning from the center of trees, indicating a strong intensity. | Mr. Moore said he arrived about 1 a.m. on Tuesday and, while fighting the fire in the darkness, saw orange flames burning from the center of trees, indicating a strong intensity. |
| The agency said early Tuesday morning that about 100 houses and 30 businesses had been destroyed, but those numbers were likely to rise. | The agency said early Tuesday morning that about 100 houses and 30 businesses had been destroyed, but those numbers were likely to rise. |
| “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,” said Dean Flener, an emergency management spokesman. | “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,” said Dean Flener, an emergency management spokesman. |
| Seventen people were injured. The agency said that about 11,600 people had been left without power in Sevier County. | |
| Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement that the state was providing coordinated resources to help those affected by the fires. | Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement that the state was providing coordinated resources to help those affected by the fires. |
| Representative Jason Zachary, 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 thanked the emergency medical workers. | Representative Jason Zachary, 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 thanked the emergency medical workers. |
| “We evacuate, they run toward the danger,” he said on Twitter. | “We evacuate, they run toward the danger,” he said on Twitter. |
| Gatlinburg, at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a resort town about 50 miles from Knoxville and relies heavily on tourism. Pigeon Forge is home to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, one of the premier tourist destinations in the region. Both towns feature Christmas-themed entertainment at this time of year, drawing visitors from around the country. | Gatlinburg, at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a resort town about 50 miles from Knoxville and relies heavily on tourism. Pigeon Forge is home to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, one of the premier tourist destinations in the region. Both towns feature Christmas-themed entertainment at this time of year, drawing visitors from around the country. |
| On Twitter, the National Park Service announced that officials had “closed all facilities in the park due to the extensive fire activity, and downed trees.” | On Twitter, the National Park Service announced that officials had “closed all facilities in the park due to the extensive fire activity, and downed trees.” |
| Pete Owens, a spokesman for Dollywood, said in a statement that the park had not been damaged but that more than a dozen cabins managed by the company had been damaged or destroyed. | Pete Owens, a spokesman for Dollywood, said in a statement that the park had not been damaged but that more than a dozen cabins managed by the company had been damaged or destroyed. |
| Ms. Parton said she was “heartbroken” by the destruction: “I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe.” | Ms. Parton said she was “heartbroken” by the destruction: “I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe.” |
| Businesses in the area were sharing updates on social media. The Space Needle, an observation tower in Gatlinburg, noted that no one was allowed into town and that its workers were still unaware of the structure’s status. The Ober Gatlinburg, a ski resort, posted that its property was “okay,” contradicting an earlier statement from the emergency agency that said it had been destroyed. | Businesses in the area were sharing updates on social media. The Space Needle, an observation tower in Gatlinburg, noted that no one was allowed into town and that its workers were still unaware of the structure’s status. The Ober Gatlinburg, a ski resort, posted that its property was “okay,” contradicting an earlier statement from the emergency agency that said it had been destroyed. |
| And the Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg, home to thousands of animals, posted that it was “happy to report the animals are safe.” | And the Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg, home to thousands of animals, posted that it was “happy to report the animals are safe.” |
| 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 federal agriculture secretary noted the increasing frequency of wildfires in the United States in 2015. | In January, Tom Vilsack, the federal 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. | “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. |
| The authorities closed Route 321 at the Rocky Top Sports World, barring access into downtown Gatlinburg. About 700 people gathered on Tuesday morning inside the complex’s main building, a two-story center on the 80-acre campus: mountain men with gray beards and canes, alongside several people in blue surgical masks. One man was too choked up to talk, his tiny Chihuahua-pit bull mix shaking inside his battered camouflage jacket. Dozens of Red Cross volunteers and firefighters tended to people who seemed shellshocked. | |
| “I got my family, man,” said Greg Lanham, 36, who fled the flames around 8 p.m. Monday with his wife, Kara, 32, and their three children. The family moved from Henderson, Tenn., three months ago. Mr. Lanham, a maintenance worker, and Ms. Lanham, a maid, both worked at Sidney James Mountain Lodge, which burned down. | “I got my family, man,” said Greg Lanham, 36, who fled the flames around 8 p.m. Monday with his wife, Kara, 32, and their three children. The family moved from Henderson, Tenn., three months ago. Mr. Lanham, a maintenance worker, and Ms. Lanham, a maid, both worked at Sidney James Mountain Lodge, which burned down. |
| “We didn’t know what to do,” Mr. Lanham said. “We took what little money we had in our pockets and found a place to stay.” | “We didn’t know what to do,” Mr. Lanham said. “We took what little money we had in our pockets and found a place to stay.” |
| The family did manage to save their dogs, Gizmo, a Pekingese, and Scruffy, a Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix, along with their kitten, Snowball. | The family did manage to save their dogs, Gizmo, a Pekingese, and Scruffy, a Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix, along with their kitten, Snowball. |
| Standing at the sports complex’s food counter, where Red Cross volunteers served free coffee, hot dogs, burgers and fries, and boxes of fried chicken, Ms. Lanham joined her family and, crying, told her husband: “It’s gone. It’s all gone.” | Standing at the sports complex’s food counter, where Red Cross volunteers served free coffee, hot dogs, burgers and fries, and boxes of fried chicken, Ms. Lanham joined her family and, crying, told her husband: “It’s gone. It’s all gone.” |
| “We did lose everything,” Mr. Lanham said. “We got the clothes on our back.” | “We did lose everything,” Mr. Lanham said. “We got the clothes on our back.” |
| Bob Waikel, 78, thought that he may have lost $2 million to $3 million between his personal property and his real estate company, the Foothills Real Estate company, which he opened in 1970. He manages about 100 properties such as condos and ski chalets for private owners and said he was trying to access to them. | Bob Waikel, 78, thought that he may have lost $2 million to $3 million between his personal property and his real estate company, the Foothills Real Estate company, which he opened in 1970. He manages about 100 properties such as condos and ski chalets for private owners and said he was trying to access to them. |
| “I’m trying to get the police to let me get in a car and access my places so I can tell my owners, ‘Your place is burned to the ground or you can come look around,’” he said. | “I’m trying to get the police to let me get in a car and access my places so I can tell my owners, ‘Your place is burned to the ground or you can come look around,’” he said. |
| “How do you replace 80 years of your life and 60 years with your wife,” he said. “And I can’t even get there. It could be ashes.” | “How do you replace 80 years of your life and 60 years with your wife,” he said. “And I can’t even get there. It could be ashes.” |