Fires in Tennessee leave 3 dead; Gatlinburg is in curfew

Three people were killed amid the intense forest fires that broke out in Sevier County, Tennessee. In addition, the authorities consider the possibility of more fires during the night.

Gatlinburg fire chief Greg Miller said Tuesday that the victims were killed in different places, where the fires that began Monday were recorded. Miller also told reporters that he still does not know if there are more people dead.

"We have not been able to reach all areas," he said.

Forest fires have damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings east and around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge (Tennessee), tourist areas, for a pretty steep 24 hours, officials said.

"Basically, people are rushing to save their lives," said Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner, who apparently lost his home amid the fires, he said when he described the city scene.

Authorities added that they still do not know when residents who have been evacuated from their homes will be able to return. In addition, a curfew was imposed in Gatlinburg from 6 pm to 6 am

In addition, Werner revealed that, in many cases, the destroyed properties are next to buildings that appear to have remained intact or with very little damage.

Care services still assess the destruction left by the flames as they spread, with little warning, from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

"The ash was raining like snow," said Jonathan Fyre, who evacuated his home on Monday night with his wife and children.

Frye is a chef in Dollywood and lives a few yards from the park. He pointed out that the smoke was so thick that it prevented him from seeing clearly the carriages he had in front, when he was driving away from the flames. He added that it was possible to see the fires from the door of his house, but his property was not affected.

It seems that some of the major tourist attractions were spared from the fires, and Miller said that on Tuesday morning the worst had already happened.

On Monday morning, strong winds were pushing fires from the mountains to the most populated areas, destroying houses and businesses in the Gatlinburg area, authorities said.

Forest fires have also burned part of the southeast for weeks by the worst drought in the region in almost fed a decade .

This is what you need to know

• It is estimated that more than 14,000 residents and visitors evacuated the Gatlinburg area, according to information from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. Evacuations were also ordered in other communities, including Pigeon Forge.
• About 12 people were taken to hospitals to be cared for, most with non-fatal injuries, Miller said. Three of those with burns were referred to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, the clinic said.
• Among the hundreds of buildings destroyed in the area, more than 100 are from Gatlingburg, revealed Werner. That includes a 16-story hotel and an apartment complex, TEMA reported. It is estimated that another 150 structures in the counted were affected or destroyed.
• Werner believes his house is among those that were lost by the fires. "But things can be rebuilt. The center of our city is intact and that is very good for our economy "and the future of this place, declared the mayor. "We will rebuild and continue to be the excellent tourist community that we are ... everything will be fine," he added.
• Miller said about 14 fires were still in the city by Tuesday morning, but because the winds were reduced "the worst is definitely over."
• The fires were on the edge of the Dollywood theme park, near Piegeon Forge, on Tuesday morning, officials said.
• The 1,500 animals of the Ripley of the Smokies Aquarium in Gatlinburg are safe, reported the establishment on their Twitter account. However, the staff had to evacuate the place.

'Like a perfect storm'

On Monday morning, a forest fire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park spread to nearby communities. Strong gusts of wind, up to 140km per hour, spread the flames over long distances. Thus began the different fires that were fed from the trees affected by the drought. The winds also toppled the power lines, starting new fires, Miller said.

"It was like a perfect storm , " he told Cassius Cash, superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, CNN affiliate WATE .Although it rained on Monday night was too late and too little to prevent the damage suffered by the region, because of the winds and fire.

One of the most famous attractions, the ski area and amusement park Ober Gatlingburg, seemed to be safe. However, on the road leading to the resort what used to be houses were reduced to burnt debris.

Only in some places were the bricks intact. The other parts and interiors of the houses were consumed by fire.

The cars that were parked outside suffered the same fate: his painting was reduced to ash and the tires melted. Trees plucked from their roots rested on the power lines. The smoke tinged a gloomy gray sky.

"It's absolutely devastating," said Mark Nagi of the Tennesse Department of Transportation, who posted Twitter views of the landscape in the area.

The fire also destroyed a series of buildings at Gatlinburg's Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort. On Tuesday, smoke was coming from burned cars and buildings reduced to rubble. Chris Turner posted a video of the damages on Facebook.

"It's all gone, folks," Turner pointed out, referring to a portion of the property's floor. "This was so hot it melted ... the pavement," he explained.

If you can 'evacuate immediately'

Authorities issued evacuation orders for Gatlinburg and nearby areas, including the northern tip of Pigeon Forge: "No one is authorized to be in the city at this time. If you are in Gatlinburg and you can evacuate, do it immediately, "was the instruction.

Pigeon Forge is home to Dollywood, the theme park of actress and singer Dolly Parton. There, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park authorities also evacuated guests, as the flames approached the area.

Parton said in a statement that his heart was broken by the fires and that he was "praying for all affected families." "It's a blessing that my Dollywood park, the DreamMore resort and many other businesses in Pigeon Forge are safe," he added.

Schools in Green, McMinn and Sevier counties were closed, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.About 12,000 people were without electricity this Tuesday morning at Sevier.

Some evacuation shelters were opened and about 1,300 people spent the night in the community center and park. Some residents were trembling and others needed oxygen after inhaling large amounts of smoke. All had to be accommodated in the care centers.

"We saw how a building collapsed in flames right in front of us," said one of the people who evacuated the site and was rescued by firefighters.

'It simply engulfed us'
Despite evacuation orders, some people - including guests at the Gatlinburg hotel - were not able to leave the area safely, as the fire raged on Monday night.

" I only saw flames everywhere , " said Logan Baker, a guest who was alijando in the Hotel Park Vista, CNN affiliate WATE . He published several videos in which the doors and windows of the hotel glowed with fire that was peeking out.

Baker was among the dozens of guests who could not evacuate because the trees engulfed in flames blocked the only exit road.

The fire did not reach the hotel, but the smoke did enter. Which made breathing difficult for those at the facility, Baker explained.Guests spent Monday night in the hotel lobby with masks on.

The rain could bring relief

Up to half an inch of rain fell overnight Monday and early Tuesday, which may be enough to "virtually stop the spread of fires , " Bill Gabbert, editor in chief of the portal said WildfireToday.com and former executive director of the Association International Forest Fire.

However, he said, it will not be enough to extinguish it. There are still burning logs and areas with fires that are protected by trees. In addition, it will require a strong soak to completely turn off the slats.

What could help most would be the series of storms that are expected to arrive in the area in the early hours of Wednesday and Thursday. They could fall between 2 and 3 inches of rain, meteorologist Dave Hennen told CNN.

With information from Artemis Moshtaghian, Jason Hanna, Madison Park, Sarah Aarthun, Saaed Ahmed, Amanda Wills, Keith Allen, Brandon Miller, Shawn Nottingham, David Williams, Chuck Johnston, Christine Sever, Judson Jones, Dave Alsup, Jeremy Grisham, Phil Gast And Jennifer Gray.

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