Noon time report. They are making up zones to check for people and property. 2 small fires have rekindled along the park way .The main fires are out. Heres a picture from our back porch. Its been days since we have been able to see the Great Smoky Mountians.Bruce.
We will survive ........ that's the good news here ! Today, in Hendersonville, we can finally breath in fresh air and not have the unpleasant smell of burning plastic and electrical in the air.
I wonder if the Dollywood deal might have a bigger bang for the buck on donations. Once ya drill down into the big charities it's usually not pretty. Try to donate directly. A buddy of mine built a cabin and he had some difficulty with insurance, since it was a "custom" home they didn't like that, and they weren't going to insure at all if he had a wood fireplace. I can understand that. Do insurance companies still pay out if it's shown to be arson caused? I can see the reasoning why they wouldn't.. Not saying I like it.. but.
Fatalities continue to rise as more burned areas are opened for recovery. It's now at 10, with more expected. Some missing may not be found due to the intense heat from the wind driven fire. Very sad. UPDATE at 11:00.....Now 11 confirmed. RIP.
It was just announced here in Louisville that a family of five who used to live in this area were victims of the fire. The parents were found dead in the Chalet Village area and their 3 sons in their early 20s were hospitalized with serious injuries. For some unknown reason they abandoned their car and started walking through the dense smoke and the sons became separated from their parents. The story is below. Please keep them in your prayers.... http://www.wdrb.com/story/33847272/...na-ties-found-dead-after-gatlinburg-wildfires
I know this might be getting old to some of you but HotrodA is right. There are 11 dead now. Today Gatlinburg will have ONLY 1 ROAD open for re entry for people to check their homes and property. It will only be from 10A.M. to 4 P.M. They can not garentee your safety due to down power lines and such. Gatlinburg schools are still closed. Dolly Wood will reopen today. There is 1 good story an 82 year couple could not drive through the flames so they scaled down the mountain to safey AND THEY WERE 82 years old.!!!!Another fellow lost his house and they had a pet pig. The pig was smart and dug a hole and survived the fire, they said no human could of survived the fire there but the pet pig did and was reunited with their owners.Bruce.
@Bruce Fischer any word on this family? For some reason I find myself thinking about them in particular and praying they survived.
Ebbsspeed, I haven't hear any thing yet. The count is up to 13 people and they are starting to identify them slowly.Bruce.
It continues to get worse. Fatalities up to 13, and a new estimate of 1000(!!) structures burned in Sevier County. Hard to imagine what might have been if the rains had not come. The aerial views, now that the smoke has dissipated, show road after road with nothing but foundations and ash piles. Just hard to imagine a fire driven by 85 mph winds.
so sorry to hear of the lives lost and affected. been there many times, its hard to belive a place so beautiful can be so destructive. my prayers are with everyone.
BobG1951Chevy: Northeast, 70 miles. Between Morristown and Kingsport. No threat here. A friend has two houses there off Kings Branch and Silver Poplar off the P'kwy. between Pigeon and G'burg. Fortunately, they both were spared, but it got very close. We were just there a couple of weeks ago.
Bruce.Is it true that today I heard reports the law captured two that are suspects in starting the fires?
There was a report that two bodies were found close to his wife, and now identified as his girls. That's beyond heart breaking. Prayers for him.
God, this is beautiful... Bruce, glad you are ok, so sad about the man who lost his wife and two daughters. Life perseveres in the face of all adversity.
If you can all get on face book. Justin being on the national guard has posted over a hundred picture of what happened.Bruce.
Jimmy, I just found out 2 men were arrested for arson but that was down in the Chattanooga area, not here.Yesterday we were watching helicopters dumping water on hot spots up there. This morning it is a chilly 38 degrees with rain finally here. Bruce.
Glad to hear some cool rains are on your way Bruce. Up here in the northland, the last few days started to be like winter, tiny bit of snow on the ground, temps around 28 overnight. By next week lows of 0 degrees f, the party is over for us.....LOL