Chimney Tops 2 Fire Update Thursday, December 1, 2016
Incident Summary: The Chimney Tops 2
Fire was reported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, TN on
Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at approximately 5:20 p.m. The wildfire
began burning in a remote location (Chimney Tops) of the park in steep terrain
with vertical cliffs and narrow rocky ridges making access to the wildfire area
difficult for firefighting efforts. On Monday, November 27th, continuous
exceptional drought conditions and extreme winds caused the wildfire to grow
rapidly, causing numerous new wildfire starts from embers carried miles away
and downed powerlines in and adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National
Park. The wildfire was determined to be human-caused and is currently
under investigation.
To date, there are 7 confirmed fatalities and over 700 confirmed
structures lost.
The Southern Area Red Team assumed command of
the Chimney Tops 2 Fire, Wednesday, November 30th, 2016 at 8:00 a.m. The
Red Team, the Type 3 Gray Incident Management Team from Colorado, and other
firefighting resources are on site.
Chimney Tops 2 Fire is currently burning in brush, hardwood
slash, and leaf litter. Fire crews are still assessing and locating the fire edge
to see what actions are needed to prevent additional spread of fire. The
priorities are: 1) public and responder safety, 2) structure protection, and 3)
limiting the spread of the fire. Crews will be working along U.S. 441, locally
known as The Spur, to keep the road open for emergency traffic. In forested
areas outside of the park, the Tennessee Division of Forestry is playing an
integral role in firefighting efforts. Local fire departments continue to take
the lead in structure protection. Aircraft will be overhead today with an
additional 6 helicopters enroute to the fire.
The Cobbly Nob area is burning to the east of the Chimney Tops 2
Fire. This fire will be managed by the Southern Area Red Team as a part
of the Chimney Tops 2 Fire.
Although Sevier County received significant amounts of moisture
yesterday, more will be needed. "We had really good rain, but not enough
to make up the deficit. Don't let this rain give you a false sense of
security." Michael Proud, Incident Meteorologist, warned. Warmer weather,
wind and decreased humidity will increase fire activity during the peak of the
day. "The fire is not out, it is just knocked down." Mark Jamieson,
Operations Section Chief, stated.
Size: 17,108 acres
Containment: 0% Start
Date: November 23
Incident Resources: 9
crews, 20 engines, 7 helicopters, 4 dozers, 285 total personnel
Weather: Today - mostly
sunny with afternoon highs reaching the lower to middle 50s. Relative humidity
will decrease with a low of 42% to 46% possible. Winds could gust to 14 mph
contributing to increased fire activity.
Road and Trail Closure Status: Great
Smoky Mountains National Park
· Great
Smoky Mountains National Park and trails are closed from the Gatlinburg
entrance along Highway 441 to Smokemont, near Cherokee, North Carolina.
Cades Cove and Oconoluftee Visitor Centers of Great Smoky Mountains National
Park have re-opened today.
· A
mandatory evacuation is still in effect for most of the City of
Gatlinburg.
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