It upset a lot of locals, but many lauded it. He should loose his job and be prosecuted for this mess he created. I visited Gatlinburg on a trip to Asheville NC, in 1980. I am in my late 60s and have never seen such a drought, or such low stream levels. Downtown Gatlinburg Fire at Puckers Sports Grill & More (OCT 9, 2022) Would it be wise to implement backfire with such strong winds forecasted on top of exceptional drought and fuels? I realize the City of Gatlinburg is open and ready for business and business is booming, thats good for them but it doesnt help those of us that lost their home. The fire, which was reported at 6:39 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of Parkway,. They need to be accountable for their inaction, and action. These fires were allowed to cook with little or no suppression action. Question, seek truth and evidence, get to the roots, with the intention to create and apply solutions, not simply hang someone; that is how we grow forward! Especially our local emergency workers and the Park Service. Why the complacency? Now he has the benefit of another 60 to 90 days of another investigation before anything officially or otherwise will be said. Great info/synopsis of the Gatlinburg/Sevier county wildfires. Fire-wanted or unwanted- is not a warm and fuzzy abstract thing it is often portrayed in todays media and society to play around with. National Park Service says never push a slower friend down when escaping a bear, Knoxville utilities crews work to restore power after intense storms, Missing elderly Knoxville woman last seen at hospital, police say, Vols drop to 5-seed in SEC Tournament after falling at Auburn, 79-70. the downtown fire on Oct. 9 that killed one person and injured another. They probably feel they are fortunate and safe because they will not speak out on the topic until the criminal charges are completed against the two youth that perpetrated this fire but they would be foolish to do so as time just continues to churn the anger. For the availability of resources our local volunteer departments are doing a good job, but things are changing and we need to get out of the boxes we are in, and start critical thinking and creatively to meet the challenges of the future because they are rapidly descending upon us whether we like it or not. This article shows NPS was concerned by and notified of impending high winds. Frederick County, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of This rain took much of the heat out of the vegetation fire and slowed the spread, but smoke from the burning structures in the communities and smouldering logs in the Park continued to fill the air. No. Where the fire burned the valley floor, the desiccated hemlock burned freely and fully. The identities of the three killed have not been released . They didnt want CNN down there declaring their tourist town a death trap. We both were winded, nervous, and running to grab one change of clothes, night clothes, and tooth brushes. Until you sit in my seat after 20 years of fire service, making decisions on where to send your firefighters based on their experience levels, you will then realize decisions have trade offs and sometimes Mother Nature over rules you. That said I have been an avid backpack or in hiker who has done probably every trail in the Smokies many times over. Civilians are dead, millions of dollars of personal property destroyed, millions of dollars were spent on containing the wildfirethe rains/snow finally suppressed it. Have a wildland fire news tip? Two Hawaii police departments are making moves to beef up incentives as recruiting efforts grow more competitive. As citizens we should be aware of all threats we face and expect our leadership to plan ahead as best they can. I looked at the NWS Forecast Discussion and told my sister They should order pre-evacuation before the wind gets strong.. Ive been told by others that they were waiting for the rain to move in based on the forecast and it didnt arrive when they expected so in the meantime they did nothing. Jeannines comments were spot on. The fire could have been accidental, or it may have been intentional. You certainly got it right when you said that sometimes government does not listen and it takes a loud voice. 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. It appears that the Deputy has contradicted himself here. Fires in the Great. 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. It would make suppression efforts difficult, but a fire break could have been constructed around the original slow-moving fire in the early days. People responsible during the initial stages of the Chimney Top 2 wildfire need to be held accountable for violating these basic rules of fire physicsperiod. I have an Gatlinburg address but the county services my street. We went to West TN for Thanksgiving Holidays and came back home to Gatlinburg on Sunday. As a contractor I worked with a Dunes engine in Michigan MI years ago. Fire kills 1, destroys businesses in downtown Gatlinburg, Tenn None of our fires escaped, in part because we had some very smart, very experienced people in key positions. Chief Kurtz was right on target to compare South Canyon, Yarnell, and now Chimney Top 2. Thanks for adding more good insight. I think 6 days should have been plenty of time for them to do something we now see what inaction causes, dont we. The high winds were forecasted on the 25th, 2016. Our neighbors 3 doors down were outside near their car. The fire, which was reported at 6:39 a.m. Sunday in the 700 block of Parkway, caused extensive damage to a block of businesses, the city's spokesperson said. Not the best plan but the safest. During fire suppression efforts, crews found one person dead inside the structure. In fact, Monday afternoon several rental agencies were telling reservation customers to come on to Gatlinburg (news documented). We spent Thanksgiving there with our family, who left on Sunday. Why were there so many wildfires being lit by arsonists all of a sudden this year? So this has affected everyone in the area in one form or another. At 3:00PM I convinced my husband to call the Gatlinburg Fire Dept. On Monday, December 5, the Incident Management Team (IMT) on the Chimney Tops 2 Fire that burned from Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) into the Gatlinburg area reported that it has . Period. 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. Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge wildfire evacuation information - WJBF Thought among the locals is that officials didnt want to lose the post-holiday weekend crowd and revenue. from Gburg. The smoke steadily became thicker as the days passed and friends were showing pictures of the Chimneys on fire. In my opinion there is more blood on the hands of the NPS, Gatlinburg city and fire officials and Sevier County politicians than those kids. Mother nature always bats last Sad chain of eventsonce again. The two juveniles who set a fire are not alone in this. Second, why not attempt water drops and fire retardant despite their reasoning it wouldnt do any good. What about firefighter safety? Excellent information and supporting documentation. He was told there was none/no one. Aircraft dropping water or fire retardant on a fire cannot put it out. Officials say the road will be closed for an extended period. They found plenty of resources when they realize they were going to be burning all the money making business is down on Monday. My questions are: what were the wind speeds when NPS crews ignited these backfires to protect NPS structures; and if they ignited fire on the 28th when the winds were getting stronger and stronger, would the potential exist for backfire embers to get out of control? Ive not had a chance to hike post-fire areas in the mountains yet to see fires effect on dead hemlocks, but what Henry said about dead stumps burning into the ground looking like a volcano rings true with what Ive witnessed in mountain forest areas that burned decades ago. They were taught with classroom didactic and hands on training, by sharing of lessons learned by others, and the best learning opportunity available, the best teacher of all; the actual experience itself. 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. Classic Swiss Cheese risk management fire management failurehave we as a profession learned anything since South Canyon, Yarnell and now Chimney Top 2? But those heroes should have never been in that situation in the first place. The decisions that worked made us heroes, and those that did not changed us if we were allowed that opportunity. Wildland firefighters typically request Spot Weather Forecasts from the NWS for wildland fires or other events that can be greatly influenced by weather. The facts are clear that this was not the appropriate action taking during the initial stages of the Chimney Top 2 wildfire. This is a failure at the city, county and state levels, as well as top FEMA, leadership. Emergency crews were on the scene for 31 hours extinguishing the fire before the emergency demolition was requested. I understand the excellent point made in the article that history in the Smokies area would expect less of a problem than out West. The report concluded that the fire was an accident; however, officials said the investigation was limited because the building was not structurally sound. Great job on this website, it is very informative and I recommend it to everyone in the business. What the fire victims need is non-biased experts to analyze the BACKFIRES that the NPS claims they ignited to protect NPS structures. If I had even been in the bathroom or downstairs I wouldve died . For example politicians far away from the event make decisions regarding funding, resources and operations. What about helicopters dumping water? Citing the steep terrain and the safety of firefighters, fire managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) decided not to take direct action on the fire which would entail constructing fireline along the edge of the fire to remove the fuel that allows it to spread. A true lackadaisical response. Thanks for the legwork. How far from the Chimney Tops, as the crow flies, were these pictures taken? Stumps burned into the ground and look like volcano caldera. Oddly, some folks that posted photos of the fire of the 23rd in its early stages have either pulled the blogs or the material cannot be accessed. I went back a few years ago and it was completely different. According to Ms.Schroer, firefighters walked up the Chimney Tops Trail to the top of the hill to size it up. This country was founded on open respectful discussion, such as this which has occurred in this article commentary and blog comments. I wish the Feds had kept the case instead of handing it off to the local DA. The earlier fire on the hill was named Chimney Tops hence the name Chimney Tops 2 for the new blaze. We need to hold, that experience though often shared, does not fit into every mold, because in the real world though some laws are universal, there is always changing variable and situations are never really exactly the same. There was lots of sunlight and lots of low-level vegetation so much that the trail was overgrown and we decided to turn around. On Monday November 28 it recorded wind gusts in that part of the state at46 to 60 mph, and a 76 mph gust on Wednesday. I think were all just going to come back and rebuild stronger than ever, he said. She said I dont think its necessary for you to leave home with children and dog at this point. Arson charges dropped against teens accused in deadly Gatlinburg - WJLA Park Service has not issued any warnings and there are no active fires in Gatlinburg city limits. I ask her if they had plans of issuing a warning if evacuations became necessary and ask her how they would do that. Tennessee Wildfire Cause: Gatlinburg Fires May Have Been Man-Made The Tip Line is 888-653-0009. Charges dismissed against boys, ages 17 and 15 after Gatlinburg - WITI This fire burned for almost a week, before it exploded into Gatlinburg. This openness which allows for both expression of feeling and diversity of thought and ideas will be what drives our ability to fix the complex issues we are faced with, and to grow as human individuals, groups and nations. The whole thing is unconscionable to me. Heavy Rain In Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg Tennessee (March 2023) Those with information are urged to contact the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017 or the GFD at 865-436-5112. I said Fed. Take my word for it, Ive seen back scratching going on down there for over 40 years. Yet no one made a move. Good points about differentiating between prescribed fire and the wildfire. there is still a nagging question regarding the use of BACKFIRE on the part of the NPS and the Gatlinburg Fires? Officials identified Robert A. Hejny, 63, who was found at Traveler's Motel in Gatlinburg. We listened to local TV news at home which reported voluntary evacuations for Mynatt Park after fire was reported in the Twin Creeks area. Thanksgiving Day Global Supertanker 747 is responding to wild fires in Israel. Praying for those residents that have it far worse than I. Oct. 11, 2022, at 10:27 a.m. 1 Dead in Gatlinburg Fire That Affected Travel to Smokies. With the wildfires scattered across western N.C., we are lucky that, given parallel conditions of the wildfires that swept down the Chimney Tops into Gatlinburg ..i.e. Guessing the fire spotted from the Chimneys, to Bullhead, then on to Twin Creeks area. Stupidity is as stupidity does. 321) at Glades Road and the Post Office. Just like the Mayor of Amity in Jaws, they didnt want the tourists to see this much reality. The notice went out to people within 10 miles of the fireline. Remembering the Gatlinburg Wildfires five years later - WYMT There is simply too much BS. To access this area, it is important to follow check point protocols. This is as far as this subject needs to go; for the objective of this site is in regard to wildfire. Shortly after that power was lost to the station and data stopped being recorded. On Monday morning we awoke to the smell of smoke. Nothing happens in a vacuum. They strive to their utmost and have a true passion working in GSMNP. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to stand up. I do remember the bad fires in the 1990s in Florida and Colorado (I was in Glenwood Springs at a week-long seminar only a week after the Storm King Mountain aka South Canyon fire). City prosecutors have charged a longtime Mililani High School leader with multiple counts of theft. My prayers are with all of you. However, when adequate risk analysis, proactive contingency planning and decision making, real time fire behavior simulations predicting possible disastrous outcomes, humans may have a much better chance of containing, or controlling, or herding, or managing or all-out suppressing an unwanted or unplanned ignition. 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). GRSM firefighters spotted the new fire as they returned from responding to a report of a vehicle fire. I left early to get boys and filled Stantons old Subaru Outback up with gas. In a time in which the NPS and all other government agencies are under attack and certain factions are seeking to replace all our government agencies with private for profit industry I would not ignore the possibility of anything. I was on the phone w them that Mon. Defense attorney Gregory P. Isaacs said the state can't prove that the horseplay of the boys, ages 17 and 15, sparked a fire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that caused the deadly . Also, for the last several decades, NPS policies have allowed these excessive fuels to build. 2 min read. What is these adults had taken immediate action to correct and intervene in this unsafe behavior by children. Later it changed to a mandatory evacuation. He yelled at Bates to get out, and Bates did leave before coming back without the worker knowing. This would explain why they are all covering for each other. In this instance, it is not only important to ask the questions its mandatory to question the answers if we are to achieve true critical thinking. Ive learned so much on this blog over the past 6 weeks about how forest fires are managed and fought and Im most grateful for that. Ive posted this type of questioning on other Wildfire Today articles. Now I can only imagine what children or adults with issues might have gleaned from this message being broadcast. 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. 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. Case in point is our European religious history. On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 a hiker on the popular Chimney Tops Trail managed to capture a photo of two teenage boys dropping lit matches on the trail despite the current no-burn order in the area. We are emotional beings, we feel and we have the capability to think. I doubt it as the experience there is of fast moving potentially devastating fires. My family lives 15 mi. 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. This is just one more example of one more related issue that is seemingly un-connected until you delve into the issues deeply. Where was all the HELP TO PUT THIS FIRE OUT A WHEN IT STARTED???? Even this article seems to skirt around some of the issues and miss the depth of analysis it needs to effect meaningful change. I think that since its been brought to attention that nepotism shouldnt be involved in these positions because when it is you have people covering up, like a cat trying to cover up poop! The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. Will the NPS Fire Management leadership at the Regional, NIFC and Washington DC levels admit to some very poor policy and decision making problems associated with the Chimney Top 2 disaster? Brian Blanco/Getty. I spent two weeks in the area after the fire to inspect my property and ascertain where my wife and I would go from there. I certainly hope the investigation of the totality of fire is not pressured to conclude prematurely. Here is one interview I gave to a Cincinnati station 2-3 days after the fire. I wonder why? This fire as did others around this time had highly predictable potential for massive and rapid spread. 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. Gatlinburg Fire 2016: The Start. They just hurl mean criticisms and put downs from a safe distance Brene Brown. They must be invited in by the state, so the bureaucracy and border silos are at issue here too. We had loaded dog and Abram in car, out of smoke and told them to stay put. Nearly five years. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) Firefighters have found a body in the remains of a building that burned in . All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect.
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