When asked about what the fight has been like on the scene, Mayor Waters said he appreciated the professionalism and organization of responders from the beginning, 11 a.m. Wednesday. "Fire at the Red Roof Mall in Pigeon Forge. " Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much They were staying in Chalet Village on Crooked Ridge Road. Deputies with the Sevier County Sheriffs Office originally told WVLT News that the Pine Mountain Fire started from a structure fire that started earlier in the day that was spread by the wind. Reed took the familys only car and left Constance and the two girls at home to drive to the Gatlinburg Welcome center to gather more information about what was occurring. He wrote, Looking West just now from Gatlinburg Golf course (in Pigeon Forge). It looks scary on TV, but Im proud of how everyone in the area has pulled together like they always do. Authorities were evacuating more residents as the fire threatened 15 to 20 homes in the Priscilla Heights area of Sevier County, Tennessee, Dean Flener of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said. Officials give latest update on Hatcher Mountain Wildfire. Residents can evacuate to the Pigeon Forge Community Center if needed. It brought a tear to my eye to see everyone coming together as one, and it reassured me that everything was really going to be okay, Beau MacLellan said. #tnwx #wildfire As of Sunday afternoon, the Hatcher Mountain Fire is 98% contained and all affected areas are now open. Priorities are shifting now, Miller said, from the Hatcher Mountain Fire to the Millstone Gap Fire. The second video shows fire crews working to save cabins in Sevier County as flames creep closer. All manpower and resources from the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Fire departments were used to stop the blaze. Web-Must reside in State of Tennessee no further than 30 road miles from the Pigeon Forge Fire Station #1 or Fire Station #2. At 5:15 p.m. All in all, Mayor Waters said, 70 local and federal agencies consisting of around 200 people responded to the fire. Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said two juveniles were charged with aggravated arson, but the charges were dropped, according to attorney Greg Isaacs. If it keeps going, we already know well be here as long as we need, Pigeon Forge Fire Chief Tony Watson said. Helicopters made bucket drops to slow the spread of the fire. Once buses arrive, students will be dismissed accordingly. Este hotel fica a 8,7 km de Dollywood e a 1 km de Island at Pigeon Forge.Sinta-se em casa em um de nossos 112 quartos com geladeiras e micro-ondas. Officials later said that they believed the structure fire was later a separate fire, not related to the Pine Mountain Fire. Upon arrival to the area, they will receive their assignments to help fellow firefighters that have already been on scene for several hours, officials with the Dandridge Fire Department said. Flames destroyed nearly 2,500 homes and left an estimated $2 billion in damages. However, due to the extreme nature of the wind continued to be a problem for the area. Waters said that responders began the fight with the fire as soon as it began, around 11 a.m. Wednesday. WebArmy helicopters were called in to drop water on the flames as a state of emergency was declared in the city of Pigeon Forge. The fire spanned 30 to 40 acres. A Warner Bros. An evacuation was ordered for anyone within two miles from Parkside Resort in Pigeon Forge due to a fast-moving brush fire. Along with those updates should come a more accurate number of structures affected. They asked people to call 911 only for emergencies. An evacuation was ordered for anyone within two miles from Parkside Resort in Pigeon Forge due to a fast-moving brush fire. Hatcher Mountain Wildfire 100% contained, number of structures lowered due to duplicate counts. Sevier County officials gave a major update just before 5 p.m. Thursday. The blaze is being pushed by strong winds. Officials originally predicted the affected acreage was 3,700 but they updated it to 2,675 burned acres, according to Assistant Sevier County Mayor for Governmental Affairs Perrin Anderson. Several fire trucks took severe fire damage near Wears Valley. Sevier County EMA officials also released a phone number for people to call with questions or information about areas affected by the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire Thursday afternoon. Tennessee National Guard officials told WVLT News that they have provided six UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters to support responders in Sevier County Thursday morning. The American Red Cross is asking people who are planning to come to an evacuating center to bring bedding (such as pillows) and prescribed medications with them to help make their stay more comfortable, the agency said in a tweet. At the time, the Gatlinburg police chief told WVLT News that cell phone towers were down in the area. Sevierville Convention Center, 202 Gists Creek Road in Sevierville, is now open as an evacuation shelter for persons displaced by the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire. Wears Valley Road and Waldens Creek Road reopened according to officials with the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency. View all posts by Bill Gabbert. Michael Reed is suing on behalf of his wife, Constance Reed, 34, and their two daughters, Chloe Reed, 12, and Lily Reed, 9. If you are in the Wears Valley or Walden's Creek areas please evacuate immediately. This fire could have been much more devastating had we not had this team in place, he said. Country superstar and East Tennessee native Dolly Parton created the My People Fund to help victims of the wildfires. Updated: Mar 2, 2023 / 09:10 AM EST. Fortunately the weather is not what it was the other night, he said, referring to Wednesdays wind gusts. The Hatcher Mountain/Indigo Lane fire that startedMarch 30 burned nearly 2,500 acres, damaging 219 structures and destroying 130 of those. Elaine Brown, 81, died after she sustained a medical event that caused a multi-vehicle accident on Wears Valley Road while fleeing the fire. As we previously reported, NONE of our cabins were damaged in the blaze. Live: Officials give an update on Wears Valley wildfire. Just a few hours prior to the commercial structure fire, at 6:59 p.m. on The Sevier County Fairgrounds will open Friday to receive donations as well. Authorities did not release details about the other fatalities. He said the fire had grown to 800 acres and was 0% contained, but also said the fire had not affected any structures. WVLT News also spoke with Brook Smith, a forester at the scene, who said as nightfall nears the situation may improve some. Seymours shelter was closed, Mayor Waters said. The cause of the structure and brush fire were not known as of Thursday night, according to deputies. The vehicles were then lost to the fire, officials said. Pigeon Forge Community Center located at 170 Community Center Drive is available as an evacuation center for persons displaced by the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire. PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) - An evacuation was ordered for Crews are also working a fire off Millstone Gap Road in Seymour, near the Blount County/Sevier County line, officials said. When asked how he felt personally, Waters said he felt nervous and asked for prayers. Hotels are also allowing residents to stay for free, Flener said. We are confident we have this fire in good check, he said. If they catch fire,Tennessee Division of Forestry spokesperson Brook Smith said, the rain can't do much to stop it. PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) - An evacuation was ordered for residents in Pigeon Forge Thursday following a fast-moving brush fire that officials are calling the Pine Mountain Fire and has since been lifted. https://bit.ly/3NyWklV. Officials reported that evacuation alerts went out on cell phones, but some residents said they never received the alerts. Due to the spread of an ongoing wildfire , folks who live in the area evacuated beginning yesterday to stay safe from the brush fire. A wildfire burns in Sevier County, Tennessee, on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/yysCq3tgIn Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. While the fire was put out, several people are now without CNNs Melissa Alonso, Sara Smart and Chris Boyette contributed to this report. Residents can use it to search their address to find out if they need to evacuate. As of just after 9pm local time, WATE reports the fire is 45% under control. The Mountain Tough website was restarted following the fires, which is where those wanted to donate can find more information. The fire prompted the Sevier County School System to cancel classes Thursday out of an abundance of caution for our students, parents, and staff members, it said in a message on its website. Survivors of the wildfires sued the National Parks Service regarding their response to the fires. Thewind is making this fire very hard to manage.". Earlier Wednesday, Sevier County warned of astrong storm system approaching the area, bringing damaging winds to the entire area. That evening, wind gusts of up to 87 mph sent embers flying into Gatlinburg, wreaking havoc on the city and surrounding communities. It was 30% contained as of Thursday afternoon, officials said. TEMA did not send out a mass evacuation alert because it said it did not have a preset message to accurately describe the situation. WebI would describe this as flooding in Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg Tennessee, but certainly heavy rain rising the water levels throughout. Nighttime, we can usually get a good handle on containing the fire, putting it in a place to where we can bump crews out for the evening so they can get sleep, Smith said. By and large nighttime fires calm down and dont move much, but tonight we are going to have winds that will be a concern.. When the fire spread throughout Sevier County, more firefighters were brought in than ever before to start evacuating certain areas, according to Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller. It was surreal, Goodhue told the KnoxvilleNews Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network. SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department fought an apartment complex fire that affected 150 rooms Tuesday night, according to the department. Residents told WBIR they noticed smoke that appeared to resemble a chimney fire in the area. We hope that everyone has a good spring break, officials said. ET Thursday fire officials said the Hatcher Mountain/Indigo Lane fire was 3,700 acres and approximately 100 structures had been affected the same numbers distributed in the 10 a.m. briefing. As of 8:30 p.m., the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire was approximately 1,000 acres in size and had affected 35 structures. Twin brothers Beau and Zackary MacLellan lost their home and their jobs to the fire. The Countys Emergency Management department said it is in the Hatcher Mountain Road and Indigo Lane area of the Wears Valley Community. "It could be worse," Duran told Knox News of his predicament. Well thankfully a church has got us a hotel room located for the night, Chris Clemmons said. Crews closed the road, saying they were focusing on stopping the fire from crossing it and spreading into more populated areas. The area is home to rental cabins with some permanent residences. Residents and visitors needing general information, or having information to provide, on areas affected by the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire may call 865-774-3899. Eleven plaintiffs are suing the National Park Service, and the cases are broken down into two phases. 2023 www.knoxnews.com. More: https://bit.ly/38btpE5. He said that after a night of fighting, responders had gotten the fire 5% contained. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much An internal investigation by then U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke found that the National Park Service was unprepared but not negligent. Thursday afternoon the humidity will be in the 50s with 10 to 14 mph southwest winds gusting to 29 mph. Two more squads of two helicopters were scheduled to leave the base at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., Haas said. But we will be back tomorrow and monitoring that closely, but well be back up here tomorrow at 10 oclock tomorrow but as long as this rain keeps falling we might be able to get a little sleep tonight.. Mayor Waters also thanked the community for the outpouring of support, saying people and residents had donated many items including food, water and new clothes. As of 6 p.m., the fire had affected at least 20 structures, like buildings, and one civilian was injured. CNNs Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report. PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) - More than 100 people were displaced after an apartment fire in Pigeon Forge, according to Sevier County dispatch. 2023 Cable News Network. The buckets suspend from the helicopter and contain valves on the bottom the crew can use to dispense water. -Pass Departmental NFPA 1582 Complaint Physical Exam. We were trying to stay here because the alert said it was a shelter, but when we got here they were saying no.. While the crew had been unable to save that particularcabin, they said,they took down the flag when they retreated. We know they are anxious, we are trying to get everything under control as quick as they can.. Tennessee Forestry representative Bruce Miller gave a fire update, saying the Hatcher Mountain Fire is 95% contained. During this time, Constance observed flames coming from a house across the street. They were hoping to reunite it with its owner. Firefighters in Sevier County said they were on level 4 alert of 5 for the threat of wildfires on Tuesday. Five firefighting vehicles have been damaged. WVLT News spoke with the Sevier County Assistant for Governmental Affairs Perrin Anderson said the number of affected structures was higher because of duplicate counts. Today is looking as if it could be our last day in Sevier county in support of the wild fire operations. The Millstone Gap Fire, on the other hand, is in a more rural area than the Hatchers Mountain Fire, Miller said. Duran confirmed the flag and banner did, in fact, belong to him. Local agencies incurred more than $3 millionof expenses, Anderson added. Sevier County officials began issuing mandatory evacuations around 4:30 p.m. A schedule can be found below. Watch as a helicopter collects water from pond to drop on a wildfire in Wears Valley. The Sevier County Emergency Management Agency said fire officials advised that they now have 45% of the fire contained. Some are calling it the Indigo Lane Fire. Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters opened the conference by confirming that there had been no fatalities as of Friday. The wind is making this fire very hard to manage.. We are predominately making efforts on the western line of the [Hatcher Mountain] fire, he said. Upon arrival to the area, they will receive their assignments to help fellow firefighters that have already been on scene for several hours, officials with the Dandridge Fire Department said. -Pass Departmental NFPA 1582 Complaint Physical Exam. Anyone in the affected area should use caution as emergency crews continue to work. Officials have set up the Sevier County Emergency Response website where road closures, evacuation notices, shelters, donation sites and maps can be found. The Knoxville Fire Department posted to Twitter saying that Saturday looked to be its last day in Sevier County supporting operations. WVLT News spoke with Sevier Co. officials, who confirmed the fire was still 45% contained as of 4:08 p.m. Friday. Courthouse in Greeneville that is expected to last ten days. Last night we conducted fire patrol@and extinguished hot spots. It could be 1 to 3 oclock right, could be all night. Copyright 2022 WVLT. Clemmons spent lodging money on a cabin for the trip, which ended up in the evacuation zone. Roads continue to remain closed and he suggested using Little Cove Road to access Wears Valley Road. Multiple communities under evacuation orders as wildfires grow and new ones spark overnight. Hikers are advised to avoid hiking during this time period across the park, particularly in areas with standing dead trees.". However, due to the extreme nature of the wind continued to be a problem for the area. Updated: Jan 31, 2023 / 06:23 PM EST. Deputies with the Sevier County Sheriffs Office originally Michael McGrath who took this video says several more homes on the hillside have now burned. #tnwx #wildfire. It was reported that 35 homes had been burned from the brush fires. The Sevier County Follow the link to read our updated Privacy Policy, Morgan Wallen Celebrates the Release of One Thing at a Time with a Concert at His High School, Brush Fire in Pigeon Forge Forces Evacuations. Over 200 people and 70 agencies have been involved in the firefighting efforts, according to Waters. He also told WVLT News that buses are en route to Pigeon Forge Primary, Intermediate, Junior High and High School to dismiss students. 8:40 PM EDT, Thu March 31, 2022. What you need to know as crews continue to fight a wildfire in Sevier Co. More: https://bit.ly/3IQcELz. But until then, on Wednesday night the relative humidity will be in the 30s and 40s with very strong winds out of the southwest at 15 to 18 mph with gusts of 40 to 60 mph. This is a developing story in Pigeon Forge, TN. The high winds that took down the power lines to spark the fires also fueled the progression of the fires,"Agricultural Crime Unit Captain Greg Whitehead said. If you are unsure if you are in this area, you should evacuate. appreciated. He told her to contact 911. They made solid decisions and saved thousands of lives, GSMNP Superintendent Cassius Cash told WVLT News in 2016. I know there are some folks who have been affected, and I hope that you will join me in saying a prayer for them, Parton said. Copyright 2022 WVLT. Duran knew his vacation cabin was destroyed, putting his plans to retire there in 18 months on hold. Mayor Waters also gave an update on road closures, saying officials would only reopen roads if they were safe. Wears Valley Road is still closed from Waldens Creek to Valley View. WVLT News spoke to Red Cross officials Wednesday night to try and get answers, but they said the decision was in the hands of Sevier County EMA. Map: In light of Smokies fire in Wears Valley, track wildfires in Tennessee )Please call 911 for EMERGENCIES ONLY. "It meant a lot to me," he said. Less than 1/10 inch of rain fell at that station and another at Pigeon Forge. Responders held a press conference Thursday morning with an update on the ongoing firefight in Sevier County. I'm just really hoping everybody came off the mountain.. I could see the smoke coming off of Waldens Creek back there, and I was like, That's coming from where I live.. Residents can go to the Gatlinburg Convention Center or Pigeon Forge Community Center. This could lead to significant fire spread toward the northeast before the showers begin. We can replace buildings and vehicles, but lives you cannot, he said. Several apparatus and a dozer lost on the Wears Valley fire; dozer operator burned and flown out. An evacuation was ordered for anyone within two miles from Parkside Resort in Pigeon Forge due to a fast-moving brush fire, according to officials with the Sevier County Dispatch. Winds were expected to die down Thursday. A mandatory evacuation was ordered Thursday afternoon for Smoky Ridge Way off Wears Valley Road due to increased fire activity. Tennessee National Guard officials confirmed to WVLT News that a helicopter they sent to assist with the fire suffered engine failure and had to make an emergency landing around 11:25 a.m. All four crewmembers were unharmed in the landing, and the helicopter reportedly only suffered minor damage. For folks that lived in Walden Creek and Wears Valley, authorities asked them to evacuate as it was a dangerous place to be on Wednesday afternoon. About 150 people were evacuated Sunday and the American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Pigeon Forge Community Center. Three more people were found dead on Campbell Lead Road. Crews spent Thursday through Saturday working to establish a containment area lower down the mountain. Sevier County dispatch told WVLT News that there was a two-mile evacuation from Parkside Resort near Little Cove Road and Pine Mountain Road. Sevier County residents, visitors face uncertainty amid wildfire. Herman Duran is one of the countless homeowners and residents impacted bythe two Smoky Mountainregion wildfires that broke out in late March. The order now includes Dripping Springs Road; Dykes Road, West Lewelling, Reagan Circle, and Lela Way. Thursday morning, Red Cross officials were able to confirm the EMA decided to not classify the community center as a shelter because they were not sure if the fire would spread in that direction. Power outages reported across the region following severe storms, Kentucky State Police investigating Floyd County death, Restrictions on vehicles restoring power and clearing debris temporarily lifted, Governor Andy Beshear updates Kentuckians following severe weather, Sevier County Fairgrounds Donations Schedule, Hatcher Mountain / Indigo Wildfire Update, fire crews were preparing for the threat of wildfires due to a Red Flag Warning, Sevier County Emergency Management Agency. Guests staying in Sevier County's park vista hotel described being trapped inside by wildfires that raged in 2016, Power outages reported across the region following severe storms, Kentucky State Police investigating Floyd County death, Restrictions on vehicles restoring power and clearing debris temporarily lifted, Governor Andy Beshear updates Kentuckians following severe weather. Despite these challenges, we sent police fire and mass transit to evacuate citizens and visitors, said Miller. Firefighters from across East Tennessee are on the scene of a major wildfire in Sevier County as it continues to grow. Did you encounter any technical issues? Firefighting continues, the park reported, adding conditions throughout the park continue to be dry with an enhanced risk for wildfires. All rights reserved. He also said that teams would begin damage assessment Friday, estimating that they would have more information on damages Friday afternoon. On Nov. 23, 2016 a fire started on the Chimney Tops Mountains and five days later, it had reached the city of Gatlinburg. She told the dispatcher, The fire is next door to my house My husband is not home. Responders said the concern is a lot lower today than yesterday, saying the weather is better for fighting it. Responders said that one crew of firefighters had to abandon their vehicles and move back into already-burned areas as the fire approached Wednesday night. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, Waters said, in addition to a civilian who was injured when the fire overcame him while he was working on a bulldozer. Red Cross officials confirmed the Pigeon Forge Community Center shelter will close at 2 p.m. Sunday. PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WATE) KFD will remain throughout the night, and likely into Saturday. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. pic.twitter.com/VU3I6B4zLs. Because of this, the addition of overnight rain was a necessity on Wednesday evening. NEW: Rain helps put out most of wildfire near resort town in eastern Tennessee, NEW: Firefighters have been able to leave, as just a few hot spots remain, About 20 fire departments had been battling the blaze, which started Sunday as a house fire, Fire charred more than 35 buildings, turned propane tanks into shrapnel. Positioned on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains, the area also is popular with outdoors enthusiasts and has a wide variety of other attractions, including music theaters, outlet malls, go-kart tracks and miniature golf courses. Crews with the Pigeon Forge Fire Department were prepared to stay out all night to make sure the fire was contained with about 50 firefighters working the fire. SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - Responders from several East Tennessee agencies are on the scene of a major wildfire in Sevier County. You can type an address at the top-right on the page to see if it is affected. We appreciate that and are thankful for the donations, he said. Officials later said that they believed the structure fire was later a separate fire, not related to the Pine Mountain Fire. Local, state, and federal firefighting assets and personnel deployed to a Sevier County wildfire thats consumed more than 1,000 acres and resulted in the evacuation of more than 500 people. The delay caused stress for people already in a dire situation who were not able to plan where they would spend the night. Officials said three people were found dead from fires in the Chalet Village area, and one person was discovered dead near a motel on Highway 321. pic.twitter.com/mfFfiReWBB, Ben Cathey (@bencatheywvlt) March 31, 2022. Documents filed in the case obtained by WVLT News show Reed filed a claim in 2017. There are no reports of fatalities or missing people as a result of the blaze, The Kings Academy at 202 Smothers Road, Seymour, TN, is open as a shelter for those evacuating. The smoke could be seen for miles, as a plume was captured on the National Weather Service radar stretching from Pigeon Forge to Dandridge. We will provide donation information for both items and money later this afternoon. Officials said that airdrops will continue Friday morning. The wind was expected to make travel hazardous due to trees being blown down. Those in the area can check this map to see if they need to evacuate. Everybody took it very seriously because of what happened, he said. Have a phone thats charged and on and listen to the media.. WVLT News spoke to Assistant Sevier County Mayor for Governmental Affairs Perrin Anderson, who confirmed that the Hatcher Mountain Wildfire is now 80% contained. PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. A Kroger grocery store in Pigeon Forge caught fire early Saturday morning. For the brothers, the My People Fund helped them get back on their feet. Sevier County EMA officials released an interactive map for those in the area. The fire was 30 to 40 acres and was 100% contained by Friday afternoon. The website (mountaintough.org) manages information and donations.