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The remains of a home and cars smolder after a wildfire November 29, 2016 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Thousands of people have been evacuated from the area and over 100 houses and businesses were damaged or destroyed after drought conditions helped the fire spread through the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) With more than 14,000 people evacuated from the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area and more than 400 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed, the Sevier county wildfire may have been the largest in Tennessee in the last 100 years. But what caused the fire? Experts...

A roaring 500-acre fire is threatening structures in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where officials have ordered mandatory evacuations. Roads near Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed, as firefighters battle the flames and gusty winds. There have been no fatalities so far, but three burn victims are in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, the Tennessean reported. Officials suspect arson in the fire, which started over the weekend. More than 100 structures have been destroyed by the massive fire, including the home of Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner.

GATLINBURG — More than 150 homes and businesses lay in smoking ruins Tuesday after wildfire flames whipped by high-speed winds raged overnight through town and displaced more than 14,000 residents, officials estimated. "This is a fire for the history books," Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said at a morning news conference. "The likes of this has never been seen here. But the worst is definitely over with." More than 200 firefighters from across the state remain on the way to help douse the wildfires, and the Tennessee Army National Guard plans to dump water onto the flames from a helicopter,...

I found this doing something else and didn't find it posted yetAnother source had posted a report around 11 AM Eastern "Wildfires in Tennessee damaged hundreds of buildings overnight, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes as hundreds of firefighters battled the blazes and smoke that blanketed the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains." "A statement released Tuesday morning by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said that the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, as well as other parts of Sevier County, in the eastern part of the state, had been evacuated." "The agency said it was likely that...

Ravaged by months of drought, huge swaths of the southeast United States are on fire, but you wouldn’t know it judging by national media coverage.A total of six states in the southeast (Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi) are currently suffering from “exceptional drought,” a category reserved for the most severe drought conditions, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center. The majority of land in four states (Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia) are facing “extreme drought,” the second most severe level.(snip)But because it’s not happening in New York or D.C. or Los Angeles, it doesn’t really count...

GATLINBURG — Firefighters across the state scrambled to douse the wildfires raging through East Tennessee Tuesday morning, and the Tennessee National Guard made plans to dump water onto the flames from a helicopter. Emergency responders have struggled to make a dent into the fires that have devastated Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and surrounding areas in Sevier County since high winds helped the flames spread Monday evening Article continues, "Hillbilly Golf, major hotels, a good portion of Regan Drive and countless other businesses and homes were destroyed in the blaze that had firefighters working throughout the night. "The center of Gatlinburg looks...

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.

GATLINBURG, TN (WSMV) - One of Tennessee’s most popular tourist destinations is being evacuated due to wildfires. Downtown Gatlinburg and numerous area neighborhoods, including the southern part of Pigeon Forge, are under a mandatory evacuation. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has declared a level three state of emergency for the affected areas. TEMA says 30 structures are currently on fire in Gatlinburg, including a 16-story hotel. The Tennessee National Guard will be deployed to Sevier County to assist with clearing and removing debris. Officials said there are no reports of fatalities at this time. At least one person suffered a...