14,000 forced to flee Gatlinburg, Tennessee, as wildfire rages

By Brian Lada , AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer

November 30,2016, 4:15:47PM,EST

 

 

The entire town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, was ordered to evacuate as a wildfire spread over the region early this week.
The wildfire was burning in the mountains near the town on Monday before strong winds caused the fire to rapidly advance toward the town.
The evacuation order was issued early on Monday night by the City of Gatlinburg, home to nearly 4,000 people. In total, 14,000 residents and tourists evacuated the area.
Evacuations were also issued for areas nearby, including Pigeon Forge and in areas along the Spur and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
On Wednesday morning, Tennessee officials confirmed that there have been at least seven fatalities and dozens of injuries due to the wildfire.

Tennessee Highway Patrol
According to the Associated Press, more than 150 structures have been damaged in the city. A 16-story hotel was among the structures damaged.
The wildfire forced Tennessee Ripley's Aquarium staff to evacuate, leaving over 10,000 animals behind. The aquarium announced all the animals were safe on Tuesday afternoon.
The fire prompted officials to close and evacuate the Dollywood DreamMore Resort. As of early Tuesday morning, no structures in Dollywood have caught on fire.
The Great Smoky National Park remains closed due to extensive fire activity, downed trees and power outages.

A scorched vehicle sits next to a burned out building in Gatlinburg, Tenn., on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. The fatal fires swept over the tourist town the night before, causing widespread damage. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)
As thousands fled to safety, some drove down roads with the fire raging all around them.
On Monday night, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency asked people to stay off cellular devices unless for emergency purposes as to unclog phone lines.

Troopers walked into areas of Gatlinburg, Tn that were surrounded by fire to remove those who were trapped by flames. (Tennessee Highway Patrol)
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Rain and thunderstorms moved into the region on Tuesday night bringing much-needed rain to the area.
This rain helped to suppress some of the fire activity; however, one thunderstorm on Tuesday night did bring the threat of a tornado.
A light rain fell across the area earlier in the night but was not enough to put out the flames. Additional rounds of rain will occur into Wednesday, which should help emergency crews to combat the fire.
"The rain will be very much welcomed and should help dampen any fires currently burning," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root said.
Drier conditions are expected to return for the second half of the week with the chance of rain returning over the weekend.