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The Great Smoky Mountains burn: Terrified guests are TRAPPED inside a burning Hilton hotel [tr]
UK Daily Mail ^ | November 29, 2016 | Hannah Parry

Posted on 11/29/2016 3:23:29 AM PST by C19fan

Terrified guests are trapped inside a burning Hilton hotel as a huge wildfire engulfs the Tennessee resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Dollywood theme park has been evacuated as thousands of tourists and residents fled the Great Smoky Mountains amidst reports of cars bursting into flames, dozens of homes being engulfed by fire, and the sky turning brown with smoke and flames. 

Motorists clogged the roads after the Gatlinburg Fire Department ordered the mandatory evacuation of the town at just after 6pm on Monday, as strong wind conditions fanned the flames making the fire increasingly unpredictable and dangerous.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: fire; gatlinburg; smokymountains; tennesseefires
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To: bert

A few of the fires are from downed power lines due to the high winds.


21 posted on 11/29/2016 4:55:17 AM PST by 2CAVTrooper (Democrats... BETRAYING America since 1828.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

You are right...perhaps its a plan for MORE.

Good thoughts you have.


22 posted on 11/29/2016 4:58:57 AM PST by Adder (Mr. Franklin: We are trying to get the Republic back!)
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To: C19fan

It rained last night and a bit this morning. I lived in Alaska, so I guess I was a lil apethetic at first. Several coworkers live close to a couple of fires. The smoke is wreaking havoc on the locals.. we live in an are less affected, but I work in in maryviille, where the smoke settled for a few days. The city folk are claiming near death experiences constantly. Glad to hear the Hilton is safe, just can’t see spending the holiday in the great smoke filled mountains. To me, it’s just mountain life.


23 posted on 11/29/2016 5:01:15 AM PST by momincombatboots (Pray for Sky, 20, two gunshots to abdomen, college student, hostess, easy prey n transformed US)
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To: bert
Or if it was Islamic Terrorists, the Lord had nothing to do with it at all.

That depends on your understanding of God's sovereignty.

24 posted on 11/29/2016 5:06:47 AM PST by Drawsing (Fools show their annoyance at once, the prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16)
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To: C19fan

Even though it will never be admited I think these huge fires are set by radical muslims


25 posted on 11/29/2016 5:07:16 AM PST by stockpirate (OBAMA MUST BE ON THE PAYROLL OF THE CLINTON FOUNDATION.)
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To: WayneS

“Are any US news sources covering this?”.....

I haven’t seen or heard a word that they are. Guess the fire had nothing to do with the outcome of the presidential elections and was not newsworthy enough. (sarc)


26 posted on 11/29/2016 5:09:09 AM PST by DaveA37
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To: HiTech RedNeck

I live next to the Jefferson National Forest in the Appalachian hills. Fire, like logging, is just part of life. If you don’t harvest the timber, the fires will do it for you.


27 posted on 11/29/2016 5:09:37 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you really want to irritate someone, point out something obvious they are trying hard to ignore.)
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To: Bulwinkle

Egad! It’s admittedly a tourist trap, but my family has had great vacations there - especially a couple stays at a single “cabin” on the NC side, owned by an elderly couple.

Looks like rain is still falling, but may be about over. Precip totals up to 1” — hope the heavier rain fell where most needed...

Prayers for all!


28 posted on 11/29/2016 5:14:59 AM PST by Paul R.
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To: C19fan

Bugs and disease have been killing the trees for many years. When we visited in 2010 you could see the damage.

https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/dff109-pest.htm


29 posted on 11/29/2016 5:22:47 AM PST by laker_dad
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To: Caipirabob

When I was about 12, we went to Gatlinburg for vacation. At that time, Pigeon Forge was just a cross street. I remember there was an old horse drawn wagon on one corner. That was the extent of the town. Flash forward about 20 years. We drove through there and I was amazed at the growth. Ripley’s Believe it or Not was the tamest of the family attractions. Helicopters, mini-golf and hillbilly everything.

Americana at its best. My favorite place is a few miles up the road. The Smoky Mountain Knife Works, a huge knife emporium.

I hope the fire is extinguished soon. We’ve done some awesome hiking there. I’ve hiked about 100 miles in the Smokies with lots of great stories.


30 posted on 11/29/2016 5:24:27 AM PST by cyclotic (Democrats haven't been this mad since we freed their slaves)
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To: bert

I do not think any of the hotel burned at all, including the porte cochre.

According to the two eyewitnesses WATE interviewed in the hotel around 1:00 AM, the closest the fires came were on the OTHER side of the parking lot from the hotel itself. By the time of the interview they said the fires had retreated a bit but were still waiting for the road out to be cleared.

http://wate.com/2016/11/28/video-chef-at-gatlinburg-park-vista-hotel-live-on-facebook-from-fire/


31 posted on 11/29/2016 5:35:28 AM PST by Alas Babylon!
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To: C19fan

Closing in on Dollywood. My sis and her husband who has MD, and their daughter all lost their jobs when Westgate a resort burned down. They live up in the mountain’s surrounding the area, their house is not in danger. He’s on disability, she will have to apply for Unemployment, finding work when you are nearing 60 is not going to be easy. Especially with so many losing their jobs because of this fire.

Please Lord send enough rain to put out the fires.


32 posted on 11/29/2016 5:43:08 AM PST by GailA (Ret. SCPO wife: Merry CHRISTmas, Happy Birthday JESUS CHRIST, suck it up buttercup you lost)
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To: cyclotic

We love SMKW! They also have a broadcast from there, or used to.


33 posted on 11/29/2016 5:49:49 AM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear (****happy dance**** BIGLY!!!!)
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To: C19fan

Crap. Was there a few months ago.


34 posted on 11/29/2016 5:55:26 AM PST by ctdonath2 ("If anyone will not listen to your words, shake the dust from your feet and leave them." - Jesus)
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To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

We live in Maryland and went to visit friends in Alabama over Thanksgiving a couple years ago. We timed the trip to spend the night in Pigeon Forge just so my and my two boys could go to SMKW for Black Friday.

It was worth it.


35 posted on 11/29/2016 5:56:21 AM PST by cyclotic (Democrats haven't been this mad since we freed their slaves)
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To: C19fan
Pigeon Forge was the home of Tom Anderson, editor of Farm and Ranch magazine and a conservative pundit and commentator in the 1960's and 1970's. In 1972, when Rep. John Schmitz (R-Calif.) ran for president as the American Party candidate, Anderson was his running mate.

The American Party established its headquarters in Pigeon Forge in 1973. Three years later, Anderson ran for president as its candidate but lost to Jimmy Carter.

36 posted on 11/29/2016 6:05:09 AM PST by Rufii
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To: bert
I suspect ISIS set the fires as they did in Israel

If they are catching on to that tactic, California had better brace itself when the Santa Ana winds start blowing in the fall.

37 posted on 11/29/2016 6:08:59 AM PST by Rufii
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To: Rufii

don’t you feel comforted as 0bama continues to bring in more muslim terrorist ‘refugees’ on top of the millions he’s already brought in?

yup... the next 4-8 years are going to be exciting


38 posted on 11/29/2016 6:14:53 AM PST by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Bulwinkle

“Even with the rain that continued to fall, buildings remained engulfed in flames, and the agency said there was “little hope” that the rainfall would bring relief anytime soon.”

http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2016/11/29/30-gatlinburg-structures-fire-tema/94584554/

posted 25 minutes ago


39 posted on 11/29/2016 6:15:33 AM PST by BwanaNdege
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To: cyclotic
The Smoky Mountain Knife Works, a huge knife emporium.

I luv that place. I know next to nothing about knives but I always buy a cheap utility knife as a souvenier.

40 posted on 11/29/2016 6:26:54 AM PST by C19fan
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