Needless to say one tanker run can drop more water than two helicopters can do in a full day. A voluntary evacuation should have been issued at least 36 hours before the fire exploded. Not to lay blame or punishment but as a real learning tool for improvement of service provision. Sitting in a Sevierville motel room for four days watching the fire chief, city mayor, city manager, and county mayor pat each other on the back for being Mountain Strong sickened me. they if you limit that to local staff might not have as much fire management experience as say Yosemite or Yellowstone. There is much opportunity in the Eastern Appalachians to better prepare citizens, towns , leaders and firefighters; To create more fire aware and safe communities. Unfortunately human lives were lost and hundreds of folks have been displaced. That should have been done over Thanksgiving! I have seen local hiking pictures that appear to show two separate smoke columns on Saturday 11/26. Humans will never be able to control or suppress all unwanted fires-structure, chemical or wildland. The report said the fire was an . Excellent information and supporting documentation. High winds were to start soon and rain was 5 hours away as indicated by radar. I ran other errands and stopped by cabin to unload groceries before picking boys up from school. Accountability is important and paying the price for our decisions is too. Drought, fall winds, fuel moistures that havent recovered in months, what part of this disaster was a surprise. GSMNP manager said he couldnt order an evacuation but he surely could have recommended one as the forecast for high winds was given early Sunday. It took the governor to get the lack of evac into the open, as local gov was trying to keep it out of the press. There were ashes raining and that was very alarming to me. They strive to their utmost and have a true passion working in GSMNP. 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 picked them up and came back home with plans of bringing truck back over mountain and filling it up because it was near empty. Until theyre able to return, Neddo hates to see the Gatlinburg Parkway location gone, but he hopes the next place will be even better. Im totally with you accountability. January 4, 2017 at 5:26 pm City prosecutors have charged a longtime Mililani High School leader with multiple counts of theft. It was hard to drive because of falling leaves, branches, smoke, wind, and nerves. Accountability! By definition, prescribed burning is described as fire applied in a knowledgeable manner to forest and grassland fuels on a specific land area under selected weather conditions to accomplish predetermined, well-defined management objectives, pg 2, http://www.southernfireexchange.org/etc/ITPFISE.pdf. 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. Nicely put together article. We were still asleep when it happened. Then and only then will He let you effectively manage His creation that He has allowed you to be a part of for a short time. 321) at Glades Road and the Post Office. I am a property owner in the Lake of the Ozarks, in Missouri, and oddly enough, had just returned from a trip to Branson, Missouri. What is these adults had taken immediate action to correct and intervene in this unsafe behavior by children. We told them the fire was coming. A lot of chainsawing has been going on. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - Four downtown Gatlinburg businesses are picking up the pieces after a fire Sunday morning destroyed their building. 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). The fire had spread to Mynatt Park in Gatlinburg, and people were being evacuated from neighborhood there. Frankly people should lose their jobs and fault should be placed on their shoulders. It must have been Sunday, because a Type 1 team came in on Tuesday. On Friday, Gatlinburg city officials released a report detailing the downtown fire on Oct. 9. This is the path to healing, and the way to light. As we drove south out of Pigeon Forge I took another photo before we entered the spur, which shows smoke and a red glow above Gatlinburg. According to Ms.Schroer, firefighters walked up the Chimney Tops Trail to the top of the hill to size it up. I hope they can train more local governments how to handle big wildfire situations. Damage was estimated at more than $500 million, according to Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters. Then, a few days later they had the full timeline article and info about the NPS not following its own protocols. They got info from NPS about the fire spreading. Yet if no one raises cain about it, things will be rebuilt with no regard for such safety factors. from Gburg. This lack of serious response is all too obvious. The coordination and communication of the Incident Management teams is impressive. Though the drought and winds were undoubtedly an act of God (Psalms 148:8; 1st Kings 17:1), NPS and other officials were not left ignorant. All without the but why reflection, cause and effect analysis, drill down technique and the inter-relationship effect. Many times, as has been thoroughly vetted during the analysis the Chimney Top 2 wildfire the ONLY option is an all out aggressive, throw the world at it initial attack from air, ground and sea. Perhaps he needs a bit of prompting to remind him that the public will not forget what happened. 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. Many, if not most, of these incidents leave the confines of the managing agency and sweep out onto lands owned or managed by others who had NO input into the original incident management strategy. GRSM firefighters spotted the new fire as they returned from responding to a report of a vehicle fire. Not the best plan but the safest. What the fire victims need is non-biased experts to analyze the BACKFIRES that the NPS claims they ignited to protect NPS structures. teams had Lake Lure and Tate City evacuate when high winds were forecast. We probably wont want to attribute 14 deaths to a non-native insect infestation, but in the end, can we say it exacerbated the situation? Nearly five years. As they are minors, nothing else is known other than the Feds said the State could prosecute. It appears that the Deputy has contradicted himself here. Neither the NPS nor the city wanted CNN cameras covering a mass evacuation of a town jam packed with tourists on Thanksgiving weekend. Another factor in the tragic outcome goes way beyond any mismanagement of the fire in its early period. Alice Hagler was reported missing by her family and later confirmed dead. 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. The body of an unidentified person was found amid the rubble of a downtown section of buildings that. Why were there so many wildfires being lit by arsonists all of a sudden this year? Above: The Drought Monitor issued November 29 showed Exceptional Drought, the highest category, for the Gatlinburg area and large sections of Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. I am a management specialist and I understand how to plan, and implement risk-protection and safety in many kinds of settings, to address various threats to people. When maintenance employees with GRSM drove past the Chimney Tops 2 Fire early Mondaymorning they saw that the intensity and rate of spread of the fire had increased dramatically. GFD officials examined the scene and found a body, later identified as Joe Martin Bates, in Suite 4. The diff. The remains of a business in Gatlinburg, Tenn., smolder on Nov. 29, after a devastating wildfire damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 buildings and killed at least 14 people. There could be traffic jams. Anyone who has toured the hillsides where most of the homes that were destroyed would know immediately how difficult evacuations would be. I would like to express that there are sincere and dedicated folks working for the National Park Service. This is how civilians, firefighters, personal property and extensive environmental damage results. I understand the excellent point made in the article that history in the Smokies area would expect less of a problem than out West. Fires in the Great. (PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images) Chan estimated the insurance claim could . Learning for the future is important if it includes changes in policy and procedure. Even if the new construction doesnt suffer from the eventual degradation of the old foundation, years after you have rebuilt and want to sell your cabin, due to prior disclosure malls when you tell a prospective buyer that your foundation went through the 100 year fire which burned your foundation at 1400 to 3000 F, only a fool would buy it. The radio conversation was fairly early in the day as I recall, maybe 7:30-8:00 am. Money. 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 . Henry, do you know the effect of the typical southeastern forest ground fires on the hemlock adelgid? The fire was approximately 8 acres in size, according to GRSM. Even this article seems to skirt around some of the issues and miss the depth of analysis it needs to effect meaningful change. They had identifiedon a map a 410-acre fire management area which, depending on weather conditions, may allow for further fire growth. Where was all the HELP TO PUT THIS FIRE OUT A WHEN IT STARTED???? I am in my late 60s and have never seen such a drought, or such low stream levels. For the region, I hope fire officials do realize that regional history makes little difference if the right combination of factors exists for rapid and extreme fire growth. Person killed in downtown Gatlinburg fire identified. Most of the people that own property down there like me live elsewhere in the real world were things cannot be as easily shoved under the rug like they are down there. Classic Swiss Cheese risk management fire management failurehave we as a profession learned anything since South Canyon, Yarnell and now Chimney Top 2? With the drought conditions this would have acted as a flammable liquid would with explosive ignition and then been carried easily by the prevailing strong winds. 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 also noted that the use of Red Flag Alerts and prescribed burning around some of the more populace areas was both lacking, and being conducted during predicted high wind conditions. Here again, more of a horse and pony show from all officials both state and federal. 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. The Seiver County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 54-year-old Joe Martin Bates, according to the City of Gatlinburg. and last updated 4:48 AM, Apr 05, 2022. The person or people responsible for the fire have not yet been found. I do not remember her name. Sorry to hear that you lost your house, but you followed your wits which kept you from getting stuck there by downed trees over the road. Will we fail forward? Im sorry but that initial fire management at the outset was atrocious. Waited a month to report this event and turn over the pictures they took to forestry officials! I have a lot of pictures to share via my blog. Would it not be more beneficial to hold accountability by insuring that analysis of cause and effect and learning take place; that change is done where change is needed? I dont have the statistics to prove what you wrote is incorrect, but I am convinced that it is not a fact to say most of the fires that are monitored (as opposed to fully suppressed) escape outside the agencys borders. A friend that owns a rental company there said that about 90% of the homes in the area which leave them 10% they can rent or sale. But the pickup trucks I encountered were full of wildfire firefighters, inside the City of Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg Fire 2016: The Start. The wildfires caused millions of dollars in damage. 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. Very good pictures! It was about this time that we noticed the wind beginning to get stronger. Try to stay neutral I understand; but the NPS has a track record of avoiding accountability. Finding out about the fire has hurt me almost as much as it did the locals. At the official Gatlinburg weather station recognized by the NWS 0.73 inch was recorded on Tuesday. 119K views 4 months ago GATLINBURG Many people get worried when they hear the words Gatlinburg and Fire in the same sentence. So this has affected everyone in the area in one form or another. SOURCE Like this: Loading. A mandatory evacuation should have been issued, at the latest, Monday morning, with reverse 911 calls, as well as loudspeaker equipped vehicles. 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. My family lives 15 mi. A stroke in 2011 left Akaka partially paralyzed and unable to speak but he didn't need words to express his joy to be reunited with it. This data from Indian Grave was not too far offthe forecast issued the day before. GATLINBURG, Tennessee -- The charges have been dropped against two teens who were accused of starting the wildfires in Gatlinburg last fall. I did blast him; and though I do have the utmost respect for his firefighting endeavors; it it disheartening to see someone with this apparent degree of experience claim this Chimney Tops Fire look at both fires was unpredictable. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - One person died and another was injured in a large fire in downtown Gatlinburg Sunday. I wish this would turn into the biggest Court case in history. How Gatlinburg attempted to notify its residents to evacuate as the fire burned into the city, http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/2016/12/13/timeline-gatlinburg-wildfires/95138656/, http://www.southernfireexchange.org/etc/ITPFISE.pdf, Long bushfire season wears down firefighters in Queensland and Western Australia, Community near Heppner, Oregon first in Morrow County to earn Firewise designation, County Cork fire brigades work through the night on gorse fires, Renewed call for the Holy Grail of firefighter tracking, Hiker owes $300,000 for Arizona wildfire he started. They had no sirens or Claxons blaring, no shouting to evacuate thru their grill mounted speakers. Do arsonists typically work alone? He asked them if they had any information on the fire and they told him Youve got nothing to worry about. By this time the wind was blowing hard and strong. Deputy Park Superintendent Jordan Clayton said the initial fire on an area called Chimney Tops, a double peaked ridge line about 4 miles away from Gatlinburg, was caused by a person or. They didnt want CNN down there declaring their tourist town a death trap. I always come back to that groupthink mentality, the ladder of inference, the been there done that mode, the failure/fear to act, and thats how weve always done it thinking; all part of how our unconscious brain works without our conscious intervention and critical thinking skills. But all sitting back and doing nothing to help. Jon Binhammer had an excellent point about the hemlocks. On November 27 the fire was a third of a mileas the crow flies from US Highway 441. Lots of fires getting controlled, crews pulling off and the new fuel falling and all back ablaze. We checked the Spot Weather Forecasts that were requested by the NPS and issued by the NWS for the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. Brian Blanco/Getty. Nonetheless, it is obvious to some folks that the NPS did not act aggressive enough on this fire. This fire as did others around this time had highly predictable potential for massive and rapid spread. Flies north of fire (s) in TN. GRSM posted Fire Information signs in the area explaining their monitoring strategy due to vertical cliffs, narrow rock ridges and steep drainages. Birmingham City have had to close their training ground after a fire caused damage on Friday morning. Thanks for your rundown on the fire Bill. We both were winded, nervous, and running to grab one change of clothes, night clothes, and tooth brushes. Things are changing slowly, and the human factors are unfortunately changing at a much slower pace than the climate and other socio-economic factors. Gatlinburg is in Sevier County. 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. Im thankful to be tuned in. I can picture all So because of his and other incompetence property owners are paying the price. NPS can suppress the first fire; but not the second fire? This is the way to honor each other and to learn. Very well put Mari. Maybe a second year of drought? We left Monday the 28th around 10:30 A.M. we could smell smoke but our home was fine and so was all of the rest of them in Chalet Village North. > Jeannine In my 40 years in the fire service (Calif and Alaska), I have seen an unfortunate number of cases where agencies in generaland the NPS in particulardesignate fires as monitored event(s) (insert favorite agency terminology here) that hours, or days, later explode into huge incidents. If the new location isnt in Gatlinburg, it will definitely be in Sevier County. The Incident Management Teams at Tellico, Rock Mountain and Joyce Kilmer/Slickrock fires had dead hemlocks near the trials knocked down (dynamite, cutting, other means theyre still working on it along the AT). If that was the case, then they had to be fully aware that the fire was going to come down the mountain and burn not only NPS structures, but Gatlinburg structures as well? We drove west down the parkway. 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. Those are low numbers for the southeastern United States. 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. 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! Would it be wise to implement backfire with such strong winds forecasted on top of exceptional drought and fuels? When you have an active, non controlled fire, an area in exceptional drought, late fall vegetative conditions, and southerly winds of 40 to 60 MPH forecasted, you do not need to be a nuclear physicist to realize the potential (probability) that a catastrophic fire event is right at your doorstep.
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