Brought on by the strong winds and the worst drought that the Southeast has seen in nearly a decade, over a dozen wildfires burned in and around Gatlinburg, Tennessee. When the wildfires reached the eastern part of Tennessee, several areas had to evacuate because of the damage that was being made to hundreds of buildings and homes. According to reports, last Monday afternoon a wildfire from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park spread into communities and the large gusts started fires across long distances and knocked down pour lines which also ignited new fires.
The staff at the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies located in Gatlinburg were forced to evacuate Monday evening but the 10,000 animals inside of the aquarium were left behind. The animals seemed to be acting normally when the employees were being evacuated and the aquarium was said to be able to run self efficiently on its own as long as the building maintained power. On Tuesday morning there were reports from the aquarium that all of the animals were found safe when the Police escorted the emergency team back into the aquarium. The aquarium was left intact and was running on a generator.
The Gatlinburg Fires destroyed over 1,600 structures, ruining homes, cabins and churches. Many of the beloved vacation destinations that tourist made memories at were burned to the ground. Michael Reed was a resident of Gatlinburg that was unable to find his wife along with his two daughters after the evacuations. Reed and his son were away and when they heard of the wildfires and tried to go back home they were held up in traffic. Reed's home was destroyed in the fire and his wife and two daughters were found a few days after.
The Police saved Denise Bearden and her fiancée Mark Benzschawel from being victims of the wildfires. Bearden and Benzschawel were asleep when the wildfire burned dangerously close to their home. The Police knocked on their door and rushed the two into the back of a patrol car where they were driven to safety.
Even though the famous tourist attraction Dollywood was spared by the fires, Dolly Parton pledges to help the hundreds of local families that were affected by the wildfires. The Dollywood Company and The Dollywood Foundation initiated a program called The My People Fund which will provide $1,000 each month to the families of Sevier County who lost their homes. Dolly Parton also just recently announced that she will also be holding a telethon on December 13th to support the families that lost their homes.
