TENNESSEE

Gatlinburg wildfires death toll climbs to 14

Travis Dorman, and Megan Boehnke

Knoxville News Sentinel

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Elaine Brown was involved in a single-vehicle accident on Wears Valley Road in Pigeon Forge while fleeing the Sevier County wildfires. It also corrects the first name of Marilyn Tegler.

As the smoke clears and authorities work to evaluate the damage done, the death toll in the historic Gatlinburg fires continues to climb. At least 14 people are now confirmed to have died during the firestorm, National Park Service spokeswoman Dana Soehn said Sunday.

Elaine Brown, 81, of Sevierville, "sustained a medical event causing a single-vehicle accident" on Wears Valley Road in Pigeon Forge while fleeing the fires, Soehn said.

City officials are now allowing property owners and renters to return to their homes and businesses between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, with all traffic going through one check point at East Parkway at Glades Road and the post office. The restriction shall remain in effect until the city reopens to the public.

Wiley Oakley Drive and Greystone Heights Road are still closed as crews work to clear the areas.

The disaster began on Nov. 28 when hurricane-force winds topping 90 mph spread embers from a then-500 acre fire near the Chimney Tops in the Great Smoky Mountains. Downed power lines and felled trees started several new fires, and in the span of a quarter-hour, the flames raced toward Gatlinburg and beyond, forcing mandatory evacuations of the resort town and parts of Pigeon Forge.

Officials now estimate 1,684 structures have been damaged or destroyed by the fires, and at least 134 people have sustained injuries.

Roaring Fork congregation stands tall after fire destroys church

Nearly an inch of rain fell in the mountains as of Sunday afternoon, helping to suppress the blazes that continue to burn in the mountains.

"The rain is doing wonders knocking down the fire behavior," said Mike Proud, an incident meteorologist from South Carolina who is currently stationed in Pigeon Forge. "(It's) cooling some of the warm spots, but we still expect bigger logs and stumps to retain heat."

Meteorologists forecast strong wind gusts at speeds of 40-50 mph at higher elevations beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday. Around 2:30 p.m., Proud said firefighters stationed around 3,000-4,000 feet of elevation had reported average wind speeds between 15-20 mph, with gusts around 35 mph. But due to the rain, the wind "isn't such a factor," Proud said.

"We haven't had any reports of any debris issues. The rain has slowed down here, so it's a really nice light, steady rain which is allowing it to soak in, and that will help cool any hot spots that are out there and some of the smaller fuels at this point."

Sevier officials admit fire evacuation alert not issued

The wind and rain have helped improve air quality in the area, pushing out much of the smoke that had settled in.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation reported the air quality in Knoxville, Chattanooga and the Great Smoky Mountains as "green" or posing "little or no risk."

The Chimney Tops fire, which spans 17,006 acres, was listed at 38 percent contained Sunday morning. Twenty-three crews, 46 engines, six helicopters, five bulldozers and 713 total personnel are being employed to fight the inferno, according to a joint news release.

The nearby Cobbly Nob fire covers 803 acres and is listed as 41 percent contained.

"This is really an important time," said Great Smoky Mountains National Park spokesman Warren Bielenberg. "We can make a lot of headway on hot spots in the area and get those knocked down, and then hopefully start sending folks home from here pretty soon."

Demobilizing the firefighters at Chimney Tops and the 91 assigned to the Cobbly Nob fire could begin midweek if everything goes well, Bielenberg said.

Another batch of rain is expected to move into the area Monday evening, bringing another three-quarters to one inch, said Meteorologist Jeremy Buckles with the National Weather Service in Morristown.. Newfound Gap also recorded 0.7 inches of snow, Buckles said.

While the rain has been helpful, both Buckles and Bielenberg warned that they will need more assistance from Mother Nature to keep the momentum going.

"Even though (we've been) having this heavy rain, it took many months for these large dead and downed trees to dry out, so it's going to take almost and equal amount of rain to get the moisture back up," Bielenberg said. "The other main thing now is hazardous tree removal along the roads and watching with the rain, the potential for mudslides. Because there's no vegetation to hold the soil now, if we get really heavy rains, that's a potential hazard."

Twelve of the victims, including two children, had been identified by authorities as of Sunday night. They include Bradley Phillips, 59, whose body was found at 412 Long Hollow Road; the Rev. Edward Taylor, 85, who has been widely credited with helping kick off the tourist town's wedding-chapel industry; and Constance Reed, 34, and her daughters, Chloe, 12, and Lily, 9.

UPDATE: List of missing from Gatlinburg wildfires grows

Alice Hagler, who had gone missing from Chalet Village, was found in that neighborhood along with Memphis couple Jon and Janet Summer, both 61, and Canadian vacationers John Tegler, 71, and Marilyn Tegler, 70. May Vance died of a heart attack due to smoke inhalation while fleeing the fire.

Authorities have not provided a list of those still missing, but a hotline manned by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND has helped agents track down more than 150 leads. That number does not necessarily correspond to the number of people missing.

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