Red Cross officials confirmed the Pigeon Forge Community Center shelter will close at 2 p.m. Sunday. All in all, Mayor Waters said, 70 local and federal agencies consisting of around 200 people responded to the fire. Goodluck to all those fighting the fire. The My People Fund gave families thousands of dollars and a chance for people to rebuild. 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. The Hatcher Mountain/Indigo Lane fire that startedMarch 30 burned nearly 2,500 acres, damaging 219 structures and destroying 130 of those. The Park closed some roads on Wednesday due to the prediction, they said, for sustained winds between 40 to 50 mph with gusts up to 90 mph. Officials later said that they believed the structure fire was later a separate fire, not related to the Pine Mountain Fire. A helicopter collects water from pond to drop on a wildfire in Wears Valley on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. In addition to local fire departments, resources have responded from 70 agencies in Middle and Upper East Tennessee as well as the Tennessee National Guard and the U.S. Forest Service. The area was under a high-wind warning overnight and while winds slowed during the day Thursday, the National Weather Service said wind gusts up to 30 mph were expected through the evening, with more powerful gusts possible in some locations. Seymour Heights Christian Church at 122 Boyds Creek Highway is open as a shelter for persons displaced by the Hatcher Mountain Road/ Indigo Lane Fire. "Fire at the Red Roof Mall in Pigeon Forge. " 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. Please pray for those personnel and ALL the personnel working hard to extinguish this wildfire, officials said. The relative humidity rose from a low of 16 percent Wednesday afternoon to 92 percent at 6 a.m. Thursday. Officials added more addresses to the mandatory evacuation order for the Hatcher Mountain Fire. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The brothers carry their work uniforms as a reminder of how far theyve come since that night. 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. A temporary shelter is set up at the Pigeon Forge Community Center at 170 Community Center Drive. 2022-03-31. A no-fly restriction remains for the public for Wears Valley and Chilhowee Mountain through April 7, according to a release. Tennessee officials declared an emergency and sent in the National Guard Massive mutual aid response via TN Mutual Aid Systen. 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. 3:03 PM EDT, Mon March 18, 2013. Sevier County EMA officials took to Twitter late Thursday morning to give an update on damage assessment and donation plans. Today is looking as if it could be our last day in Sevier county in support of the wild fire operations. 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. GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - On Nov. 23, 2016, the day before Thanksgiving, a fire began on the Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He also confirmed that less than 10 people stayed the night Thursday at the Pigeon Forge Community Shelter. That evening, wind gusts of up to 87 mph sent embers flying into Gatlinburg, wreaking havoc on the city and surrounding communities. The Pigeon Forge Community Center at 170 Community Center Drive is available for individuals displaced by the fire. 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 said he found that more people took the evacuation warnings seriously than in 2016, which helped responders fight the fire and keep people out of danger. The blaze is in the Wears Valley community of Sevier County six miles northwest of Gatlinburg. Flames destroyed nearly 2,500 homes and left an estimated $2 billion in damages. The Sevier County Fairgrounds will open Friday to receive donations as well. The visuals of the fire are tough to view. Those in the Sevier County area can get the lasted information through the WVLT News app or from officials through Sevier County alerts, which come to cell phones automatically. National Park Service says never push a slower friend down when escaping a bear, Knoxville utilities crews work to restore power after intense storms, Lisa Edwards family retains civil rights attorney, Band protests TN drag bill by wearing dresses, Tennessee GOP lawmaker apologizes over hanging comment, New TN aquarium exhibit showcases Appalachian aquatic life. LG&E gives power outage update for Fridays severe weather, WAVE Weather Now Syncbak Channel Embed for PBE Page, Man killed in Blankenbaker Lane crash identified by officials, Governor Beshear provides updates after storms and damaging winds, Louisville mayor declares state of emergency due to severe weather. Waters did have some good news, saying he thinks that the worst of the danger is over. The recordings also detail the heroic efforts of crews battling the blaze behind the scenes. Due to low humidity and high bursts of wind, a red flag warning was established. Waters did not have an update on the civilians condition. Posted: Mar 2, 2023 / 06:41 AM EST. The second video shows fire crews working to save cabins in Sevier County as flames creep closer. A reporter with WVLT got photos of some of the five pieces of fire apparatus that fire officials said were damaged on the Hatcher Mountain Fire northwest of Gatlinburg, Tennessee yesterday. A mandatory evacuation was issued for the Dupont Area from South Rogers Road to the Blount County/Sevier County line and Ownby Hills and Hidden Hills neighborhoods in the city of Gatlinburg. All Rights Reserved. According to Knox News , the fire had zero-percent containment going into the late-night hours. Thursday afternoon the humidity will be in the 50s with 10 to 14 mph southwest winds gusting to 29 mph. A schedule can be found below. Tennessee National Guard officials told WVLT News that they have provided six UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters to support responders in Sevier County Thursday morning. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. Waters said that responders began the fight with the fire as soon as it began, around 11 a.m. Wednesday. Deputies with the Sevier County Sheriffs Office originally Michael Reed is suing on behalf of his wife, Constance Reed, 34, and their two daughters, Chloe Reed, 12, and Lily Reed, 9. 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. Posted: Mar 2, 2023 / 06:41 AM EST. On Nov. 23, 2016 a fire started on the Chimney Tops Mountains and five days later, it had reached the city of Gatlinburg. WebArmy helicopters were called in to drop water on the flames as a state of emergency was declared in the city of Pigeon Forge. It looks scary on TV, but Im proud of how everyone in the area has pulled together like they always do. The Hatcher Mountain Road Fire grew over the course of Thursday, but authorities also announced an increase in the containment of the fire. As of just after 9pm local time, WATE reports the fire is 45% under control. The spot weather forecast from the National Weather Service Thursday morning predicts mostly sunny skies with a slight chance of scattered sprinkles late in the morning, minimum RH of 45 percent, and southwest winds 9 to 14 mph with gusts to The fires caused more than $66 million in damages in Sevier County, according to early estimates. Joshua McGrath pic.twitter.com/MDhpiLIQ88, Kaitlin Wright (@wxkaitlin) March 30, 2022. Part of it is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Authorities did not release details about the other fatalities. Two more squads of two helicopters were scheduled to leave the base at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., Haas said. The cause of the structure and brush fire were not known as of Thursday night, according to deputies. Despite the predictions, on Monday, Nov. 28, dry weather and extreme winds caused the fire to grow rapidly. The wildfires touched over 1,000 acres. The fire spanned 30 to 40 acres. Duran knew his vacation cabin was destroyed, putting his plans to retire there in 18 months on hold. A Type 2 Incident Management Team, the Southern Area Gold Team, has been mobilized. Clemmons spent lodging money on a cabin for the trip, which ended up in the evacuation zone. Click here. Dozens of Sevier County residents faced uncertainty Wednesday night as a raging wildfire stormed through the area. He told her to contact 911. Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new articles by email. 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. He also told WVLT News that buses are en route to Pigeon Forge Primary, Intermediate, Junior High and High School to dismiss students. Waters also gave an update on the Millstone Gap Fire, another fire in the Sevier County area. CNNs Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report. While there between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., they encountered a few park rangers, one of whom told them to go to Pigeon Forge, according to court documents. All rights reserved. Im especially proud of the brave men and women who are working to contain the fire, the singer wrote. WVLT News received two videos of firefighters battling the Hatcher Mountain Fire Friday afternoon. All rights reserved. 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. Officials will work as fast as we can so that our folks can go home, he added. Resident Robert Goodhue was turned around mid-afternoon by a state trooperas he was driving towards his home. 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. Priorities are shifting now, Miller said, from the Hatcher Mountain Fire to the Millstone Gap Fire. Wears Valley Road and Waldens Creek Road reopened according to officials with the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency. Officials give latest update on Hatcher Mountain Wildfire. Watch as a helicopter collects water from pond to drop on a wildfire in Wears Valley. Sevier County officials gave a major update just before 5 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters from across East Tennessee are on the scene of a major wildfire in Sevier County as it continues to grow. 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. The delay caused stress for people already in a dire situation who were not able to plan where they would spend the night. Sevier County dispatch told WVLT News that there was a two-mile evacuation from Parkside Resort near Little Cove Road and Pine Mountain Road. More: https://bit.ly/38btpE5. Multiple agencies responded to a large brush fire Wednesday morning that was threatening homes in the area. By and large nighttime fires calm down and dont move much, but tonight we are going to have winds that will be a concern.. Flames erupted in a remote area with steep terrain that made access to the fire difficult for firefighters. Due to the spread of an ongoing wildfire , folks who live in the area evacuated beginning yesterday to stay safe from the brush fire. However, due to the extreme nature of the wind continued to be a problem for the area. Twin brothers Beau and Zackary MacLellan lost their home and their jobs to the fire. Another fire that started March 26 about 17 miles south of Gatlinburg near Bryson City and Whittier, the Thomas Divide Fire, has burned 948 acres. According to Sevier County Emergency Management, after visiting the website with the above evacuation map, users cantype their address into the window to see if they are within the evacuation area. At least 35 buildings were burned Wednesday, and one person was airlifted to UT Medical Center, said Sevier County spokesman Perrin Anderson. Fire officials also said that lessons learned in the 2016 Gatlinburg fires helped authorities respond to this weeks fire. The crew landed the helicopter in a soccer field near Line Springs Road, officials said. Firefighters escape Sevier Co. flames propelled by high winds, Firefighters save cabins in Sevier County as flames creep close. SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department fought an apartment complex fire that affected 150 rooms Tuesday night, according to the department. Just a few hours prior to the commercial structure fire, at 6:59 p.m. on Officials with the City of Gatlinburg and Sevier County released heartbreaking 911 calls made prior to and during the deadly wildfires. SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - Responders from several East Tennessee agencies are on the scene of a major wildfire in Sevier County. Forestry officials said they expect firefighters to be able to increase containment since weather forecasts are not calling for the high wind conditions the area saw Wednesday. 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.