Former Woodstock couple confirmed dead in Tennessee wildfire

The death toll climbed to 13 Friday as local, state and federal officials fended off criticism of their handling of a massive wildfire that stormed through this resort town and surrounding Sevier County communities earlier this week.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said authorities are checking 70 leads through a hotline set up to track down the missing.

“We lost two good people”, said Lapointe.

Over 1,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in Sevier County. The county mayor has become the face of the local crisis response, and he and other officials faced pointed questions from a broadcast reporter for the lack of an evacuation before the fire.

Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said while numerous missing have been found safe, the number changes constantly.

Officials will soon post information about damaged properties on a Facebook page, Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner said.

“I think probably that impacted me more than anything”, he said. “We all know and love this place”.

When I was a child, my family and I went down there for our family vacations.

Tom Kern, chief of the Centennial Valley Volunteer Fire Department, said three volunteer firefighters – Dennis Bunn of Centennial Valley and Cooper Johnson and David Parish of Big Laramie Volunteer Fire Department – left around 6 a.m. November 26 to travel to the region with a fire engine.

Officials hoped to have as much as 90% of the affected areas searched by nightfall Friday. “We want people to know that they can visit these areas … and we encourage them to do that”. “We have to come to the realization that the potential is great it will be more of a recovery (of corpses) than a rescue”. Most stayed at their duties despite being told to take breaks, Miller said.

The economic fallout will reach top to bottom: Three Hispanic men gathered outside the shelter at Rocky Top Sports World off USA 321 on Friday said in a mishmash of English and Spanish they were unsure when they could return to their jobs at businesses in Gatlinburg. They’re sleeping on the floor.

” ‘You can not just tell them (to evacuate.) You have to tell them what to do, ‘ Flener said”. Almost 1,000 structures have been destroyed and 3,000 customers were without power as of Friday evening, Tennessee officials said at a press conference. The three were smiling and grateful to see friends and family, she said.

“All of the fires are extinguished at this time”, Waters said at a press conference Thursday.

Authorities said forecasts of more wind and continued dry conditions mean the danger’s not over.

“I ask that your prayers continue for all the victims and their families”, he said.

TEMA says officials warned people throughout Monday through news conferences and news releases, door-to-door knocking and social media.

A number of their bodies were found in the area of Chalet Village.

In Sevier County alone, more than 400 firefighters and nearly 100 fire apparatuses are supporting the firefighting effort, according to The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. She gave no details on any specific cases. The latest report said more than 450 people were fighting the wildfire, including a fire management team from Colorado.

The three brothers escaped and were sent to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville for treatment.

Howard is one of thousands of people still waiting to be allowed back into Gatlinburg, a normally bustling tourist town on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that has been closed since Monday night.

They are also estimating 700 impacted structures and more than 17,000 acres burned.