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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2016 3:39:47 GMT -8
Local Chattanooga news reports that recent rains have improved the situation and supporting fire crews from the local area are returning home.
There's some concern about flooding and mud-slides.
What a difference a week makes.....from as dry as I can remember, to wet, soggy, and muddy....
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Dec 7, 2016 6:43:59 GMT -8
chimneys fire only 50% contained this morning. worrying, as we are supposed to get some wind tomorrow and no more rain until Sunday.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2016 18:32:43 GMT -8
chimneys fire only 50% contained this morning. worrying, as we are supposed to get some wind tomorrow and no more rain until Sunday. That's terrible news...I was sure hoping the worst was over....
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Dec 8, 2016 6:11:49 GMT -8
Wind direction must be taking the fire back across previously burned and contained area. Good news.
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Post by pastywhite on Dec 8, 2016 11:23:18 GMT -8
The fire crews are saying it's over. There's still a few hot spots but the fire has not spread in 2 days and we got some needed soaking rains. It's also about to be damn cold (high in the 20s today up there).
They arrested two juveniles yesterday for starting the fire but cannot release more since they are minors. From Tennessee but not from Sevier County. There's a hearing soon to try to get them into adult court, more info will be released when/if that happens.
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Post by kevinumberger on Dec 8, 2016 11:26:51 GMT -8
Yeah
My station will be covering this event for years and we will (if allowed) be in the court for the hearings for these juvinels...
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Jan 13, 2017 5:48:33 GMT -8
I read an article in a local newspaper today (sorry no link as they didn't put the story on their website) about how the city of Gatlinburg is placing a lot of blame on the national park for improperly managing the chimney top fires. The article went on to say it could lead to insurance companies suing the national park service to recover monies they are paying out for loss of property claims.
What is everyone's thoughts on this?
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Post by ashepabst on Jan 13, 2017 8:46:47 GMT -8
my knee-jerk reaction sees their blame game as politics. the feds are an easy scapegoat and Gatlinburg caught a lot of flack --deserved or not-- for their own response to the fire that they're trying to deflect.
what's their reasoning? did the article elaborate?
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Post by kevinumberger on Jan 13, 2017 11:35:21 GMT -8
my thoughts-----its a crock of shit..........
i missed all of the fires when they were active-----i was outta town..
but, i covered a press conference with the city of gatlinburg and the park service where they described how the fire spread...
basically---it went from something small that they had contained and then the wind picked up and flew sparks over a mile away......
keep in mind---winds were up to 80MPH that night.......
thats what really helped the fire spread.......
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Post by kevinumberger on Jan 13, 2017 11:36:20 GMT -8
and in that press conference----in no way was the city of gatlinburg placing blame on anyone........
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Jan 13, 2017 11:57:11 GMT -8
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Post by kevinumberger on Jan 13, 2017 12:09:13 GMT -8
yeah...
it's always easier to go back and play monday morning armchair quarterback....
bottom line---the Park had control of this fire--------up til the winds came in....
and they cant necessarily control that factor.....
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Post by kevinumberger on Jan 13, 2017 12:12:24 GMT -8
one of the things i do agree with though-----is there is alot of underbrush and blowdowns and deadfalls not only in the Park but all the forests around the Park...
most agencies have, up til recently, not let a natural fire do its job...
the forests need fires to clear stuff out and what not..
fires are good for the forest...
but, up til maybe the last ten or 15 years, agencies have always suppressed fires making the underbrush get clogged up.....
and look at Cohutta and how much burnt there.......
tens of thousands of acres burnt in that area...
but, looking at photos two weeks or so ago------the forest is already starting to recover...
(the difference with the gatlinburg fire is that it took lives and structures)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 3:20:47 GMT -8
and look at Cohutta and how much burnt there....... tens of thousands of acres burnt in that area... but, looking at photos two weeks or so ago------the forest is already starting to recover... I rode 13 miles along the Sumac Creek trail (just west of the Cohutta Wilderness area)yesterday. While there is significant damage in that area, I'm not sure that it was do the a wild fire, but possibly a controlled burn? How do I describe it? It's clearly much different than it was...the forest undergrowth is gone and it's much more open. There's fallen trees everywhere....it was silent other than the crunching noise of the fallen leaves under foot.....no birds, no animals, no animal signs or tracks etc.... .still, it looks like it's already starting to recover. It'll be interesting to watch the recovery...
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