Death toll rises as wildfires ravage Tennessee
The Associated Press | Posted: November 30, 2016 2:55 PM | Last Updated: December 1, 2016
More than 14,000 residents and tourists forced to flee Gatlinburg, as death toll in area climbs to 7
A Tennessee mayor says three more bodies have been recovered after the wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountains, bringing the death toll to seven.
Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said Wednesday that officials believe more than 400 buildings have been damaged in the county. He also noted that three people who were trapped after the wildfires Monday night have been rescued. He did not go into details about the rescues, and said authorities have not positively identified the dead.
He said search-and-rescue missions are ongoing.
Authorities said the wildfire that spread embers and flames into Gatlinburg, igniting new blazes and forcing thousands to evacuate, is now 10 per cent contained.
A Wednesday report from the federal team managing the blaze said the Chimney 2 fire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is more than 6,000 hectares.
Threat isn't over
Though rain fell on Wednesday, officials said the wildfire threat isn't over.
Bonnie Strawser, who is with the team of fire officials working to suppress the blaze, said the fire "could still rear its head."
Strawser said rainfall reports Wednesday night or early Thursday should provide a better picture of how much rain has fallen on the fire.
Meanwhile, the Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner said officials are discussing reopening the city later this week after wildfires forced the evacuation of more than 14,000 residents and tourists.
The resort mountain city may reopen Friday so business owners can assess the damage and hopefully begin paying employees again.
He said the evacuation orders must remain in place until then because there are still areas that haven't been searched and places where power lines are down.
'We're resilient'
Werner, who lost his home in the fire, remained steadfast that his city will recover.
"It's a devastating time for us and for Gatlinburg," he said at a news conference Tuesday. "We're strong. We're resilient. And we're going to make it. We're going to pull it together and continue to make Gatlinburg the premier resort that it is."
Officials surveying early damage said the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa, with more than 100 buildings, is likely entirely gone.
"I'm just astonished this is my town," Marci Claude, a spokeswoman for the city and for the Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, said as she saw the destruction for the first time on a media tour Tuesday.
Fanned by hurricane-force winds Monday night, the flames reached the doorstep of Dollywood, the theme park in nearby Pigeon Forge named after country music legend and local hero Dolly Parton. The park was spared any significant damage.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who flew in to see the damage caused by a fire he called the largest in the state in the past 100 years, said he was struck by how some buildings in Gatlinburg were burned to the ground while others — including most of the downtown entertainment cluster — were untouched.
It just could have been so much worse. - Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam
"It just could have been so much worse," he said.
The governor said work would begin quickly to repair the damage to what he called "a special place in the state of Tennessee."
Though wildfires have been burning for several weeks across the drought-stricken South, Monday marked the first time any homes and businesses were destroyed on a large scale.
The Gatlinburg area wildfires spread when winds blew trees onto power lines, sparking new fires and shooting embers over long distances. The fires spread quickly Monday night, when winds topping 140 km/h whipped up the flames, catching residents and tourists in the area by surprise.
Police banged on doors and told people to get out immediately. Some trekked 20 minutes to catch lifesaving rides on trolleys usually reserved for tours and wedding parties.
"There was fire everywhere. It was like we were in hell," said Linda Monholland, who was working at Park View Inn in Gatlinburg when she and five other people fled on foot. "Walking through hell, that's what it was. I can't believe it. I never want to see something like that again in my life, ever."