WKRK 105.5 FM 1320 AM
  • Home
  • News
  • Weather
  • Closings & Traffic
  • Missing Pets
  • Shop Local
  • Contact Us

Sevier County, City of Gatlinburg, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and Great Smoky Mountain National Park Joint News Release

12/8/2016

 
Sevier County Fires Update, 12/8/16
 
On Friday, December 9, the city of Gatlinburg will be reopened for business and to the general public at 7:00 a.m. Motorists may enter the city through the all major roadways including the Spur, East Parkway (Hwy. 321), and Newfound Gap Road.  Major roadways are expected to be open throughout the city, but some side roads may remain closed to accommodate utility work.
 
"I am proud of how hard our community has worked to provide assistance to those devastated by the fires," said Gatlinburg City Manager Cindy Cameron Ogle. "We focused this week on allowing our residents and business owners the opportunity to return to their properties in privacy as we started the cleanup and healing process together as a community. We have much more work ahead of us, but for now, I look forward to standing behind our business community as we reopen tomorrow to the public and get people back to work."
 
In coordination with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDEC), Sevier Solid Waste, Inc. has established a temporary landfill site that will accommodate all debris associated with the recent disaster. The debris landfill will be open, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. and on Saturday at 6:30 a.m. through 11:30 a.m. via the current landfill entrance on Ridge Road. 
 
Local officials have provided the following update:
  • There are 14 confirmed fatalities.
  • To date, there have been 191 injuries/illnesses.
  • 2,460 structures have been damaged or destroyed by the fire. All of the damage assessments have now been completed. See attached chart. The following summary details the damage assessment:
    • o   Residential Structures destroyed: 1,123 in the county, 981 in Gatlinburg, 17 in Pigeon Forge.
    • o   Commercial Structures destroyed: 5 in the county, 53 in Gatlinburg, none in Pigeon Forge.
    • o   Residential Structures with major damage: 7 in the county, 7 in Gatlinburg, none in Pigeon Forge.
    • o   Commercial Structures with major damage: none in the county, 3 in Gatlinburg, none in Pigeon Forge.
    • o    Residential Structures with minor damage: 42 in the county, 29 in Gatlinburg, none in Pigeon Forge.
    • o   Commercial Structures with minor damage: 1 in the county, 1 in Gatlinburg, none in Pigeon Forge.
    • o   Residential Structures affected: 126 in the county, 54 in Gatlinburg, 1 in Pigeon Forge
    • o   Commercial Structures affected: 1 in the county, 9 in Gatlinburg, 0 in Pigeon Forge.
    • There are currently 8 crews, 34 engines, 3 helicopters, 1 dozer, 406 total personnel fighting the Chimney Top 2 Fire as a part of the Type 1 Federal Incident Management Team.
    • The Chimney Top 2 Fire is estimated to be 82% contained. The Cobbly Nob Fire is estimated to be 89% contained.
    • The water boil advisory remains in effect for Greystone Heights, Smoky View Drive and Court, Campbell Lead, Cliff Branch Road (inside city limits) and the portion of Wiley Oakley Drive between Ski View Drive and Campbell Lead Road.
    • The water boil advisory has been lifted for the Ski Mountain area including Ober Gatlinburg.
    • Water usage from the firefighting activities and loss from fire-damaged structures has greatly affected the water supply. Due to the substantial loss of water in certain storage tanks and water lines it may appear cloudy or discolored for a period of time. Running a substantial amount of water through all outlets in the plumbing system should expel the discoloration within a period of time. The water supply for the downtown area has stabilized and is at full capacity. Water service in the east Gatlinburg area was not affected by this event.
    • Due to severe fire damage to certain water system pumping stations, the following residential areas are temporarily still out of water service:
      • o   Loop Road
      • o   Topside Drive and Topside Road
      • o   Little Fox Road
      • o   Forest Springs Drive and Forest Springs Lane
      • o   Spring Drive
      • o   Silverbell Heights
      • o   Silverbell Lane (above intersection with Loop Road)
      • o   Foothills Drive
      • o   Kings Way, both sides and outside city limits
      • o   Colt Lane
      • o   Mountain Stream Way (Gatlinburg Falls PUD)
      • o   Gatlinburg Falls Way  (Gatlinburg Falls PUD)
      • o   Great Smoky Way  (Gatlinburg Falls PUD) 
Picture
Feel free to share any post from the WKRK website that you feel is beneficial to your community. We encourage input from local law enforcement, government officials, emergency management officials, schools and other public service organizations. To send us information, use the form on our Contact Us page.

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015


    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • News
  • Weather
  • Closings & Traffic
  • Missing Pets
  • Shop Local
  • Contact Us