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Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge Fires [Multiple threads merged.]

sfwilshire

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No word yet on Tree Tops, but they are working on a map now at SevierCountyTN.org . I found the Tree Tops location and everything around it is listed as destroyed. I'm still holding out hope that some of it escaped, but it looks bad.

They allowed home and business owners limited access today, so I hoped we'd hear something. Maybe the Tree Tops staff wanted to allow homeowners first access. There was a very long line to get in.

Sheila
 

brickey1

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I lost both my places in Gatlinburg, Tree Tops and Laurel Point. Will they try to make me pay maintenance fees when both of my buildings are burned down?
 

Talent312

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I lost both my places in Gatlinburg, Tree Tops and Laurel Point. Will they try to make me pay maintenance fees when both of my buildings are burned down?

Sorry for your loss. Looking at the maps, some areas were hit hard and in others, it was spotty.
Your governing docs may cover it. It may depend on whether they intend to rebuild or liquidate.
I would hold off paying for now, but try to contact management/member services.
.
.
 

MULTIZ321

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Dazed Tennessee Residents Get First Look at Wildfire Rubble
By Adam Beam and Jonathan Mattise, Associated Press/ AP/ apnewsarchive.com

"GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — Charlotte Moore needed a phone charger.

"I'll just get it at home," she shrugged.

Then she remembered that her home was gone.

The realization came as she made the familiar drive up to the top of Laurel Mountain in the Roaring Fork neighborhood of Gatlinburg on Friday, where what lay ahead was anything but familiar. On the first day officials let property owners return to assess the damage from the wildfire that devastated their homes, the eastern Tennessee tourist destination was headed toward an uncertain future.

As people were allowed into the city, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters raised the death toll to 13 and said the number of damaged buildings now approached 1,000. He also defended the response to the wildfires that spread rapidly Monday, saying it was not the time for "Monday morning quarterbacking." He promised a full review later...."

CBImages

The burnt remains of Laurel Point Resort on Sky Mountain Rd. sits atop a hill in Gatlinburg, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 2, 2016. Residents were getting their first look at what remains of their homes and businesses in Gatlinburg, after a wildfire tore through the resort community on Monday, Nov. 28. (Michael Patrick/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP)


Richard
 

Laurie

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Based on this news report it sounds like Laurel Point Resort may have burned.

Wow, so sorry to read all of this.

We just exchanged into Laurel Point this past September, for our first time into Gatlinburg and SMNP. The staff was very sweet. The park was in extreme drought of course, we learned that the black bear population was not doing well because of that. What devastation this turned into, and I read they think the fires were caused by humans. What on earth causes someone to do that? Breaks my heart.
 

Talent312

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Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters... saying it was not the time for "Monday morning quarterbacking."

I'll do some for him...
Building in an attractive area, highly forested area brought the risk, and then unforseen winds caused embers from the Chimney Tops fire to cross recently bulldozed fire breaks. But, it was bound to happen, sooner or later.

See: http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/02/us/weather-gatlinburg-was-made-to-burn/

"If you look for it, you can find evidence of past wildfires in and around Gatlinburg," said biogeographer Henri Grissino-Mayer of the University of Tennessee. "Gatlinburg was made to burn," he said. He says he's been predicting a fire in the area for 15 years... That region, especially Gatlinburg, "is a very dangerous place." ... People want to have that rustic feel, he says, so they build beautiful wood homes on a hillside in the forest.

Grissino-Mayer points out older trees that have been charred by wildfire in the past four years. Next to one charred stump, a log cabin is being built. Then he notices a fence that was recently installed alongside the charred remains of the old one. He says people will buy this cabin without realizing that the one before it burned in a wildfire.

"This is fuel," he said, pointing to the woods. "Everywhere around us is fuel, everything: trees, grass, shrubs, weeds. Everything. ... All of this is fuel, and then guess what: All of this fuel butts up to a house made of fuel."

.
 
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TUGBrian

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silentg

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Comments about Gatlinburg Town Square on Exploria Resorts' Facebook page:

Steve Platt:
Could you please tell us why none of your staff notified us about getting out? It wasn't until we heard a firetruck siren that we even looked outside and saw the flames.

Exploria Resorts:
First, we're very sorry that you had to experience this during your vacation. Please know we place the safety of our guests and team above all else, and our team was working diligently to notify everyone and make sure they were safe....

Steve Platt:
If it wasn't for our neighbor pulling the fire alarm half of the people may have not gotten out. We really feel like your staff did nothing and even one of your maintenance people didn't have a clue.

Exploria Resorts:
Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. We're sure our team will want to evaluate their emergency response in coming days, and if you would like to EM us any of your concerns, we can share that feedback with them.

.
I find this post troubling, how could they NOT evacuate? Luckily the owners took it on themselves to leave! Scary! Hope all are safe?
 

The Haileys

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I'll do some for him...
Building in an attractive area, highly forested area brought the risk, and then unforseen winds caused embers from the Chimney Tops fire to cross recently bulldozed fire breaks. But, it was bound to happen, sooner or later.

See: http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/02/us/weather-gatlinburg-was-made-to-burn/

"If you look for it, you can find evidence of past wildfires in and around Gatlinburg," said biogeographer Henri Grissino-Mayer of the University of Tennessee. "Gatlinburg was made to burn," he said. He says he's been predicting a fire in the area for 15 years... That region, especially Gatlinburg, "is a very dangerous place." ... People want to have that rustic feel, he says, so they build beautiful wood homes on a hillside in the forest.

Grissino-Mayer points out older trees that have been charred by wildfire in the past four years. Next to one charred stump, a log cabin is being built. Then he notices a fence that was recently installed alongside the charred remains of the old one. He says people will buy this cabin without realizing that the one before it burned in a wildfire.

"This is fuel," he said, pointing to the woods. "Everywhere around us is fuel, everything: trees, grass, shrubs, weeds. Everything. ... All of this is fuel, and then guess what: All of this fuel butts up to a house made of fuel."

.


The same thing can be said of building homes and resorts just about anywhere. Risk exists from natural disaster literally everywhere.
 

GetawaysRus

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Thanks for posting this. I'm not a Westgate owner, bUT it seems as if they are trying to do right by their owners.

Gatlinburg has been on my to-do exchange list for a few years. So I did finally make a trade into Westgate Smoky Mountains resort for October 2017 during fall color season. But my wife feels that if the damage from the fire is too great, she may not wish to go. We were looking forward to enjoying the natural beauty of the area, but fire damage may put a big dent into that.

I have 2 main questions on my mind:
1. Perhaps it is too early to know, but can anyone provide an idea of the extent of the damage to the forests?
2. I will probably have to call Westgate to find out if they have sufficient remaining room inventory to accommodate us (as exchangers). If not, or if we decide to change our plans, I wonder what they would be willing to do.
 

rapmarks

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my home at Christmas Mountain is on a hill and the area is heavily forested, frightening
 

eschjw

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Here is a link to drone footage of the damage at Treetops. Several of the main buildings did survive the fire.


I have an exchange booked here for early January in building 4. It is across the street from the main group of buildings and it looks like it is intact.
My exchange company DAE called me on Wednesday and informed me that Treetops had been impacted by the fire.
 

MULTIZ321

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Emergency Evacuation Notice Arrived After the Flames For Some in Tennessee
By Rebecca Hersher/ The Two-Way: Breaking News from NPR/ America/ National Public Radio/ npr.org

"In eastern Tennessee, officials say a wildfire that tore through resort towns in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains earlier this week killed at least 13 people and destroyed nearly 1,000 structures, according to local officials and the state emergency management agency.

The confirmed death toll in and around the tourist town of Gatlinburg in Sevier County has climbed steadily since the fire raced into town overnight on Monday.

On Friday, search and rescue crews from state law enforcement agencies and the national guard were still looking for people who had not made it out of town before they were trapped by flames.

The state bureau of investigation has set up a hotline to report missing people.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that, although the deadly wildfire had been burning in nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park for days before it moved into town, an emergency evacuation notice did not get to some residents until after the fire was already within city limits.

The newspaper added:

"The citywide evacuation order was never relayed directly to area mobile devices due to the constraints of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, which limits the text messages to 90 characters, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Dean Flener confirmed Thursday.

" 'You cannot just tell them (to evacuate.) You have to tell them what to do,' Flener said. 'People will panic more and you will get people in dangerous situations because you have not told them more.'

"Instead, the evacuation notice was issued to area TV and radio outlets for broadcast — several hours after the flames had reached Gatlinburg." "...."

ap_16335860132590-3dc7bb3f927cf04b01c98bf7986aa00dde522f27-s800-c85.jpg

A swimming pool in a motel complex in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Mark Humphrey/AP


Richard
 

pedro47

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That drone video of the Tree Top Resort is a sad video of what fire and wind can cause.
 

rapmarks

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I am trying to remember where treetops is located. We on a narrow one way road east of main entrance to national park. People were backpacking off this road. When we came off the road there was a touristy place and then we drove back to downtown gatlinburg. Is treetops along that road
 

The Haileys

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The area within the red straight lines is the main commercial district of Gatlinburg. The circled areas are where the fire damage was most extensive.
The worst areas are to the top and left of this, and to the bottom. There was more damage outside of the circled areas, but it was spotty in the area in the middle left, along River Road and south of the bypass.

upload_2016-12-4_11-53-42.png
 

brickey1

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I am trying to remember where treetops is located. We on a narrow one way road east of main entrance to national park. People were backpacking off this road. When we came off the road there was a touristy place and then we drove back to downtown gatlinburg. Is treetops along that road
Its on Roaring Fork Road off 321. It end where Roaring Fork Motor Trail ends.
 

brickey1

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The area within the red straight lines is the main commercial district of Gatlinburg. The circled areas are where the fire damage was most extensive.
The worst areas are to the top and left of this, and to the bottom. There was more damage outside of the circled areas, but it was spotty in the area in the middle left, along River Road and south of the bypass.

Where did you get this map? I would like to see the other area like Laurel Point area. I lost both resorts Tree Tops and Laurel Point.
 
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The Haileys

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Just Google maps, then I use the local damage reports to show the worst of the affected areas.
Here's a better map to use to pinpoint destroyed, damaged, affected (slight damage), and not damaged buildings ... but it's only what's been inspected.
You can search for a specific address or business name:

https://weather.com/news/news/gatlinburg-tennessee-fire-interactive-map
 

Talent312

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From the City of Gatlinburg website:
"The City goal is to reopen the Parkway, River Road, and Airport Road to the public on Wednesday, December 7. Gatlinburg, east of the Post Office, is open now to residents. The Water Boil Advisory is still in effect for Gatlinburg, with the exception of the areas east of City Hall. The curfew remains in effect from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. nightly."

.
 

The Haileys

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Widespread looting continues throughout the region as people dig into their closets, cabinets, and wallets, emptying them out and taking the goods to the Rescue Squad headquarters, the shelters set up by relief agencies, and other donation drop-off locations. This activity by residents and others even in far away locations has led authorities to beg for it to stop, at least for a while, as they work to sort and distribute the items to those in need. Volunteers towards that effort are more than welcome - just show up and get to work.

:)
 

LynnW

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Anyone know the situation with Holiday Inn Vacation Club? We are booked there for April.

Lynn
 
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