World Wednesday: Wildfires continue to spread west as 14,000 people face immediate evacuation

Wild+fires+continue+to+spread+in+Tennessee.

Bruce McCamish, NBC News

Wild fires continue to spread in Tennessee.

Since Sunday, Nov. 27, a massive wildfire has been blazing through the state of Tennessee, destroying everything in its path. Cities such as Gatlinburg, Knoxville, and Pigeon Forge in Sevier County have been impacted the most, where all residents were forced to evacuate Monday morning.

With 14,000 evacuating, 15 hospitalized, and four dead, Gatinburg’s Head Fire Chief Greg Miller said, “This is a fire for the history books.”

Over 200 firefighters from across Tennessee have been trying their best to put an end to these wildfires that are quickly catching. The Tennessee Army National Guard has been dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of water onto the flames from helicopters over the National Park. However, the flames still prevail.

Mike Gill, a resident of Pigeon Forge, told NBC News, “It’s a mass exodus. A roller coaster is on fire at Goats on the Roof [a theme park located in Pigeon Forge].

Officials still do not know what exactly sparked the main fire in the National Park, but it appears to be “human-caused.”

The wildfire started fast and is ending slow. At least 14 fires within the past 72 hours have been able to cover over 15,000 acres, destroying most of the Great Smoky Mountains and reaching close to Dollywood Park.

“I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken,” country singer and actress Dolly Parton told NBC News.

From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Mayor Mike Werner of Gatlinburg issued a curfew and told residents to boil their water.

Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said that there are still way too many main buildings still on fire in the city, with most already in various stages of collapsing.

With flames blazing towards Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Knoxville, the employees were forced to evacuate due to the thick smoke covering the area. However, on Tuesday, the Knoxville Police escorted a team of marine biologists back to the aquarium to inspect all the animals and check to see if the smoke had any impact on them. Ripley officials later told NBC that they are “happy to report that the animals are safe.”

The National Weather Service warned residents in and outside the towns of Tennessee to expect lightning along with “fire-whipping” winds up to 60 mph between today and tomorrow.

The Red Cross is still providing shelter at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, where hot food and cold, clean water is available. All Red Cross Shelters throughout Tennessee are also providing personal hygiene items, diapers, along with pet food and pet supplies for your furry friends.

The wildfires are still blazing, but officials have been able to gain better control of the flames with all the help they have received. With the help of all the firefighters that rushed to the scene, the Tennessee National Guard, State Police Officers, and hundreds of volunteers, they were able to drop the curfew time and move back into some of the cities destroyed in order to start rebuilding.

Mayor Werner lost both his home business and tells his residences, “Gatlinburg is a very strong, resilient community. We will rebuild. We are going to be OK.”

Ken Lewis, manager of the Red Cross shelters, is happy to report to the Knoxville News Sentinel that the number of people who’ve stayed there for days, has decreased from 700 to 200.

If we continue to lend support to Tennessee, hopefully they will be able to get the fire(s) under control and rebuild not only their city but their communities.

Make sure to stay aware and stay tuned in to the Tennessee wildfires on both TV and online news as well as in the papers.