Gatlinburg, Tennessee
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5 Things to Know When Visiting Gatlinburg TN after the Wildfires

The Chimney Tops 2 wildfire devastated much of Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains resort area in 2016.

About the 2016 Gatlinburg Fire

On Wednesday, November 23, 2016, about 5:30 p.m., the Chimney Tops 2 Fire was reported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The blaze started in a remote part of the park (Chimney Tops) with steep terrain, high cliffs, and narrow rocky ridges, making entry to the wildfire area difficult for firefighting attempts. 

Damage to Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the Gatlinburg TN Fires

Thankfully, the 2016 GSMNP wildfire did not cause any significant damage to park structures, including historic building, and the fire within the park was contained to 11,000 acres (which is about 2% of the park’s over 500,000 acres). Most of the wildlife within the park was able to relocate without injury.

Loss of Lives and Livelihood in Smoky Mountains Towns

While the park itself was mostly unaffected, the nearby towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge did not fare so well. The fires claimed at least 14 lives, injured 190 individuals, and is recorded as one of the largest natural disasters in the history of Tennessee.

More than 14,000 individuals were forced to evacuate, and over 2000 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the fires. Chimney Tops 2 Fire – one of the largest sections of the wildfires – burned more than 10,000 acres and closed the Chimney Tops trail.

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FAQs About the Gatlinburg Fire in 2016

Naturally people wanted to know how locals and businesses were doing and what could they do to help. We put together some information for our readers…

1.) Most business and popular sites are intact

There’s no denying that the November 28th wildfire resulted in significant damage and loss of life.  Officials estimate that the cost is at least $500 million, with 2,460 buildings destroyed, 134 people injured, and 14 fatalities.

The famous Castle in Gatlinburg is gone, as is most of the Westgate Resort and Spa.  But many beloved places survived, including downtown, the Space Needle, Ober Gatlinburg, the Pancake Pantry, and Dollywood. 

Most of the damage occurred in Gatlinburg, with Pigeon Forge and Sevierville essentially spared. 

2.) The National Park is open in most places

With much of the fire spilling into Gatlinburg, it also affected some of the more popular areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

A few of the trails that would normally be open during the winter months, such as the Chimney Tops, Cove Mountain, and Ramsey Cascades trails, are closed due to fire damage.  Others aren’t open due to bear activity, storms and flash floods, inclement weather, and/or road construction.

If your plans include spending time in the park, you will still get to see plenty of other places, including Cades Cove and many other trails.  The best resource to get updates on park closures is the National Park’s own page.

3.) Charity is appreciated, but volunteers are needed

The most common first response to a disaster is to help.  Once people realized the enormity of the Chimney Tops 2 fire, both financial and material donations started pouring in through relief agencies.

Dolly Parton’s benefit telethon on December 13th has currently raised over $9 million in contributions.  Local relief organizations have also raised money, and more concerts and events are scheduled.

But locals can also use volunteer help, such as in distribution centers and helping with organizing supplies.  If you would like to donate your time and effort on your visit here, please go to the Mountain Tough website and find out ways to help.

4.) Events and festivals will still go on

By the time most people will visit Gatlinburg in the spring and summer months, things will likely be back in full swing.  Until then, Ober Gatlinburg will host the Tennessee Winter Special Olympics in late January.  Winter Magic, the festival of holiday lights will continue until the end of February, and the Trolley Ride of Lights runs until January 31st.

Perhaps the best way you can personally contribute to the Gatlinburg community is to visit, just as you normally would, and tell others to do the same.

5.) The Cosby Entrance and its area was undamaged

This area of the park was untouched by the wildfires and thus remains as beautiful as before.  This is the entrance that’s known mostly to locals, so it doesn’t get the crowds often found in other entries.  Of course, we encourage those you know to come out and visit our still-beautiful corner of eastern Tennessee.

Photo by Brandon Shea under creative commons license.

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