2 juveniles are charged for Tennessee wildfire that killed 14

On Wednesday, authorities announced they had charged the two juveniles with aggravated arson. And in the 1990s, when courts were under pressure to treat juvenile offenders as adults, sentencing could be unsettling for arson cases involving vastly greater destruction than the minors ever intended.

The “Chimney Top 2” fires were first reported November 23 in Great Smokey Mountains National Park, according to the National Park Service. That fire grew amid drought conditions and ultimately rode winds exceeding 87 miles per hour into the Gatlinburg area early last week. The tip line had about 40 tips within just a few minutes of going online.

Approximately 1,785 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the fires. Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said the devastation was “unfathomable”. More than 14,000 people were forced to evacuate Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas, according to The New York Times. The five Rotary clubs in Sevier County have committed to help that cause for at least the next six months.

‘Gatlinburg is the people; that’s what Gatlinburg is. Mike Werner, the mayor of Gatlinburg, has seven children. ‘We’re gonna be back better than ever.

Southern Ground traveled to Gatlinburg and stayed there from Friday, Dec. 2-Sunday, Dec. 4.

Knoxville attorney Dennis Francis also said as long as the case remains in juvenile court, many details will be kept private, owing mostly to the differing mission of juvenile proceedings. Another 6,000 acres were scorched outside of the park. His mother, Alice Hagler, died in her home.

Lyle Wood says he was on the phone with his mother when the flames raced towards her house.

Officials said two juveniles are responsible for the devastating wildfires in Sevier County, Tennessee.

About 240 people stayed overnight in shelters, including Mark Howard, who was flat on his back in the hospital with pneumonia when the wildfires started.

If you smell gas or detect a leaking propane tank call 911 or report the leak to Sevier County Utility District 24-hour emergency line at 865-453-3272.

‘I had no insurance.

Both have been charged with aggravated arson and are being held at a juvenile detention center in Sevier County, near the epicenter of the fires they stand accused of starting. “We have many people from the area that come every year”. Authorities are looking to see if more charges are possible, Dunn said. “I know the community, and it’s very tightknit”, he said.