Posted on 11/30/2016 8:12:55 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o
The remains of a home and cars smolder after a wildfire November 29, 2016 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Thousands of people have been evacuated from the area and over 100 houses and businesses were damaged or destroyed after drought conditions helped the fire spread through the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
With more than 14,000 people evacuated from the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area and more than 400 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed, the Sevier county wildfire may have been the largest in Tennessee in the last 100 years. But what caused the fire? Experts currently believe the fire was man-made.
Here’s what we know so far.
The original fire may have been man-made, originating from a fire at Chimney Tops Trail, according to local news source The Daily Times. On November 26, a three-acre fire closed parts of the Chimney Tops Trail region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This may be the fire that grew to engulf other areas in Tennessee, Weather.com reported. The original Chimney Tops Trail fire appeared to be the result of someone’s actions, Chief Ranger Steve Kloster announced in a press release from Nov. 26. Extremely dry conditions in Tennessee made it easier for the fire to grow.
There have been a number of wildfires in Tennessee over the last few weeks due to extremely dry conditions, ABC 7 reported. On Monday night, winds topped 87 mph and helped this particular fire quickly grow to an enormous size. The winds blew down power lines, sparking new fires that quickly spread.
What was originally a wildland fire on Chimney Top Mountain quickly spread onto private property in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported. It then grew into the enormous fire that destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses.
The person or people responsible for the fire have not yet been found. Earlier on Tuesday, media reported that a man was arrested for setting three fires that spread into a 300-acre fire in Tennessee. This appears to be connected to fires from earlier in November, not the Gatlinburg fire. We will update this article as soon as we have more details.
The moslems are NOT happy that people in East Tennessee voted for Trump by a 4 to 1 margin over skankles...
Deport ALL moslems...’it’s the only way to be sure.’
Just heard that 4 are dead. Illegal aliens are notorious for setting fires, something that has been to some extent covered up.
Map just shows TN but actually there are maybe 20 fires scattered throughout the very dry Southern Appalachian region.
At the sawmill you’d get laughed at if you called poplar a hardwood.
If you tried to sell hardwood poplar for firewood you’d go broke.
It may be scientifically correct to call it a hardwood but reality is a different critter.
The Knoxville news station just reported the death toll is now 7 and as of now in Sevier county a total of 700 structures have either been damaged or destroyed.
Quite a bit of Poplar gets sold for trim not only in this country but worldwide. It may not be the same species you are referring to but it is Poplar none the less. Maybe do your homework before making blanket statements or at least visit a home depot.
www.wood-database.com/poplar/
Seven dead? Twitter poster Tobias Beecher now has even more to laugh about...
How terrible.
France...Israel...Sweden...Tennessee. Moslems???
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