Published: December 2,2016
The painful task of identifying several people killed in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge wildfire is underway, days after the inferno ravaged hundreds of buildings.
Officials announced Friday morning that the death toll had risen to 12, and another person suffered a heart attack and died during or after the evacuation. In an earlier press conference, authorities said 80 people were injured. As of Friday, at least 1,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed in what is being called the worst wildfire disaster in Tennessee in a century.
Three of the victims have been identified by local news networks. Family members confirmed to WATE.com that Alice Hagler, 70, who went missing on Monday, was found dead at her home in the Chalet Village area of Gatlinburg.
WBIR.com also confirmed through family members the deaths of Jon and Janet Summers, both 61, who had been missing for days. Their bodies were recovered in North Chalet Village, and their three sons remain hospitalized with injuries, the report added.
The three brothers, Jared, Wesley and Branson, were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to be treated for burns, WKRN.com reports. Medical director Dr. Blair Summit told media that each son suffered burns to their faces and hands. Wesley also suffered burns to his arms. Jared has already been released and only had burns to 2 percent of his body.
(PHOTOS: Aerial Images of the Wildfire Damage)
A couple vacationing from Canada was also among the five victims identified by officials, but their names have not been released.
Officials are still investigating into the cause of the blaze. They believe it is man-made and are asking for the public's help to figure out who started it. At a news conference held Friday, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash asked people who hiked the Chimney Tops Trail on Nov. 23, or who knows someone who did, to contact the investigative team.
An interactive map detailing properties damaged or destroyed was released by authorities.
Homeowners, business owners, renters and leaseholders were allowed limited daytime access to their properties from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. This type of access is expected to continue through Tuesday if things go smoothly.
The officials warned that structures are not necessarily safe to enter and may not be stable. Those visiting their properties are permitted to bring insurance adjusters.
Chief of Police Randall Brackins said they will be requesting proof of ownership or anything showing an address, such as driver's licenses.
Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said the county is working with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to make a list of missing persons and asked the public to call authorities to provide information on those still missing.
Ogle said they hoped to have the main thoroughfares of Parkway and River roads open to the public by Monday, with side streets to follow.
This was formally the Creek Place apartments on 321 going into #Gatlinburg. Beside BB&T Bank
The Associated Press said almost nothing remained of the Castle, one of the largest and most iconic homes overlooking Gatlinburg. Officials also confirmed that the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa, with more than 100 buildings, is likely entirely razed by the fire.
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Gov. Bill Haslam said it's the state's largest wildfire in 100 years.
"It’s a little numbing, to be honest with you, to see the extent of the damage," Haslam said.
"We will rebuild," said Werner. "It's going to be OK."
Pigeon Forge Mayor David Wear said in a weather.com Facebook live interview that nine structures were destroyed in the town.
"We have been blessed to not have had more," said Wear.
As dawn broke Tuesday morning, harrowing accounts began to emerge of the inferno that threatened the resort towns overnight.
"The center of Gatlinburg looks good for now," Newmansville Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Bobby Balding told the Knoxville News-Sentinel on Tuesday. "It's the apocalypse on both sides (of downtown)."
On Monday, residents in Gatlinburg, parts of Pigeon Forge and areas along the Spur were told to evacuate around 9 p.m., according to WATE.com. Just over an hour later, some 30 structures were on fire in Gatlinburg, including a 16-story hotel, emergency officials told the Associated Press.
Dolly Parton released a statement Tuesday expressing her thoughts on the fires.
"I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken. I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe. It is a blessing that my Dollywood theme park, the DreamMore Resort and so many businesses in Pigeon Forge have been spared," Parton said.
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, both popular vacation destinations, are home to a combined 10,000 permanent residents.
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