Mandatory evacuations in Gatlinburg,TN due to fires

I will definitely spend some money there next year only a short drive and we enjoy walking around and hanging out at Ole Smokey moonshine.Just dread seeing the devastation.Hope the economy will boom to help the folks there.

a reply to: ridgerunner
Have you tried the Salted Carmel Whiskey? It is amazing!!! Mix is with Dr Pepper and it's like a carmel cream soda!

Found this in my uploads when looking for the whiskey pic and thought I would post

The death toll has been updated to 13. My brother and I are getting ready to go into town and assess the damage to the shop. We're also going to volunteer with the recovery/clean up crew. Don't waste time with Red Cross, if you can get there get there and help directly.

a reply to: Martin75 Oh yes,love the stuff.Theres a bottle here.And it works pretty well to mix some honey in and make a cough syrup.Probably one of my top picks from there with blackberry and butterscotch.Also love the craft beer from Smokey Mountain Brewing.

a reply to: Aqualung2012

Hope it all went well for you and everyone today involved in the cleanup.

I hope this works (I'm mobile) they are working on an interactive map where you can look up a property by its address. They said please be patient as they cover the area.
interactive map

Our shop still in tact..




Rainbow efficiencies in tact:


McKinney market/Travelers efficiencies destroyed:


We only did a quick pass through part of town. The volunteer services are at shelters.These are the only pictures I could get.

I'm having a hard time waking up to this every day.

Just read on Facebook that Mr. Reeds family has been found deceased unfortunately. My heart breaks for him and so many of the other peoples stories that go untold.

Aqua, stay strong! Glad that your shop remains intact. I hope you are able to settle into a new normal soon.

a reply to: Doodle19815 Sad news,pray that there isn`t more to come.I hope they catch whoever has been starting the fires and throw the book at them.This was the worst fire in over 100 years in this state and I hope never to see anything like it again.

a reply to: Aqualung2012

Glad your shop is still intact! So much devastation out there! My heart breaks for all the people affected and all the buildings lost. Horrible!

So we spent the whole day volunteering with the sevierville rescue squad. A couple of us sorted out goods and I was basically involved with stacking and wrapping pallets to go on trucks.

I'll tell you, I've been deeply depressed since this all went down. Today really seemed to help with that more than anything.

Everyone was talking against the red cross. Probably 100 volunteers sorted through 100,000 dollars worth of goods today only and we will be back tomorrow.

Must have wrapped 40 skids worth of everything one could need.

a reply to: Aqualung2012


You're a good man and I'm sure your volunteer efforts are much appreciated.

a reply to: Night Star

Thank you, and everyone else for the kind words.

a reply to: Martin75

Hey Jess just an update!
Dolly's 'telethon' raised 9 million so far for her 'my peoples' fund...
www.local8now.com...

a reply to: TNMockingbird
Chirp - Thank you for the updates!!! Wow, that is just amazing! Dolly is a very special woman!! One thing you can always say about country music is they are a VERY supportive family!!!

Looks like they arrested two teens for these fires.

Link.

Sources familiar with the teenagers and the investigation but not authorized to speak publicly about the case say the two boys are friends and live in Anderson County. The boys were hiking on the Chimney Tops trail in the park on Nov. 23 and tossing lit matches onto the ground around the trail, the sources said. A hiker unwittingly captured an image of the boys walking away from the trail with smoke in the background, and the teenagers' clothing helped authorities identify them, according to sources.

The oldest boy is the son of an Anderson County Sheriff's Office employee, according to sources.

a reply to: Martin75
Just now in my inbox, Jess.

Investigators said the State is unable to prove the criminal responsibility of two juveniles beyond a reasonable doubt for the devastation that happened outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park due to the high wind speeds that spread the Chimney Tops II fire from the Great Smoky Mountains to Gatlinburg and parts of Sevier County.

WVLT

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Well isn't that interesting! Thanks chirp.
Did you think the wording was odd at the end if the article?