Back in August I wrote about how much the National Park System, specifically the Great Smoky Mountains, means to me. This past week, one of my favorite places in the world became consumed and partially destroyed by wildfires. It feels like everything happened so fast but also in slow motion.
First, some background. The Southeastern part of the United States has been enduring a drought for a couple of months now. This had led to a lot of dry grass and dead trees and leaves, which also function as great fire starters. The wildfires started a couple of weeks ago and impacted not only Tennessee but also Georgia and North Carolina. The closest wildfire to me was about 10 miles away from my house. Daily life by the wildfires was quite interesting. The sky constantly looked cloudy, but it was just smoke covering the sky. The air always smelled like fire. From my house we could see the smoke rising (pictured above), and at night we could see the glow of the fire coming from the mountains.
This all came to a head on November 28. Gusty wind weather conditions and continued lack of rain caused one of the fires to spread rapidly and sporadically. As the fire came down the mountain, the city of Gatlinburg was threatened and therefore evacuated. That night, like everyone else, I continually checked the Internet and social media for updates as Gatlinburg succumbed to the fire. Stories came in from all over the place, and it was hard to say which were the true reports.
On Tuesday morning, as the smoke cleared, there was a feeling of devastation. The loss of life, the loss infrastructure and the loss of wildlife seemed so immense and immeasurable. In the days since, there has been an overwhelming amount of generosity, love and community, but it all still feels surreal that a place so familiar to me has been permanently altered.
While some of the fires have been put out, many needs still remain for the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge communities. If you want to help, you can buy a shirt that contributes it proceeds to the Red Cross; there are many different options, and to find one, you could search online “Smokies Strong.” A second way you can help is to go and visit the area as it recovers. This is a major tourist area, and the best way to help is to fund its businesses by visiting. Finally, you can become more aware of fire safety. Smokey Bear has loads of good information on how to prevent wildfires, and this is beneficial because the majority of these fires have been human-caused.
Overall, it has been a hard week for East Tennessee, and although they have received some rain, the drought continues, and people are just beginning to rebuild their lives. However, I know that the community will restore itself back to its former glory.
