Wildfire Wreaks Havoc in Tennessee: 'People Were Basically Running for Their Lives'

6:50 p.m. (all times Eastern)

Wildfires in eastern Tennessee contributed to at least three deaths in an area along the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains, authorities said Tuesday afternoon.

As night approached firefighters were still trying to extinguish blazes in Gatlinburg, while bracing for the possibility that strong winds in the forecast ahead of expected rain would breath fresh life into flames.

"We may spend a lot of this evening fighting more fire," Greg Miller, chief of the Gatlinburg Fire Department, said during an afternoon news conference that was broadcast online.

A curfew was set to go into effect in the city between 6 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Local officials did not provide details about the deceased individuals or the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

Thousands of people evacuated from areas in and around Gatlinburg and nearby Pigeon Forge overnight Monday due to wildfires that were driven by powerful winds. Miller said some gusts were up to 87 mph.

"It was staggering," Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner said. "People were basically running for their lives."

Werner, at the afternoon press conference, defended the timing of evacuation notices. 

"I think the evacuation time was as good as it could be," he said. Referring to the speed at which the fires spread, he added: "No one had a clue that it was gonna happen that fast."

Werner also confirmed that his home and business were among those destroyed by flames.

"My house was gone and my business of 31 years is gone," he said.

The mayor described seeing homes in his neighborhood where "there's nothing left but a foundation."

Gov. Bill Haslam offered a similarly bleak take on the destruction he'd surveyed.

"You can tell how fast the fire went because a lot of them are burned to the ground," he said of homes he'd seen. "It's a little numbing." 

Haslam applauded the cooperation that had taken place between local, state and federal agencies. The Republican governor also said he'd spoken on Tuesday with president-elect Donald J. Trump.

Asked if he expected more fatalities to be discovered, Miller, the Gatlinburg fire chief, said first responders had so far not been able to inspect every part of the city.

He also said that it had not yet been possible to get a specific count on how many homes and other buildings had been damaged or destroyed. "We're still fighting fires," Miller said.

The response to the fires has been complicated by fallen trees and power lines blocking roads and creating hazards.

Officials on Tuesday described conditions where wind-blown embers and downed electrical wires sparked patches of fire on Monday night around Sevier County, which encompasses Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

"It's a devastating time," said Werner, the Gatlinburg mayor. "But as I said earlier this morning, we're strong, we're resilient. And we're going to make it."

1:45 p.m.

Thousands of people fled from in and around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee overnight Monday as fast-moving wildfires swept into the area.

In an update issued around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said it was likely that upwards of 14,000 residents and visitors had evacuated from Gatlinburg alone. Citing reports from local officials, TEMA said hundreds of structures had been damaged or destroyed.

"We begin with daybreak this morning the process of looking at the destruction," Greg Miller, chief of the Gatlinburg Fire Department, said at a Tuesday morning news conference that was broadcast online.

"We're still actively fighting fire," Miller said. But he added: "The worst is definitely over with."

Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner said at the press conference that he believed his home had been destroyed by flames.

"I think I've lost my house," he said. "But, you know, things can be rebuilt."

"Our downtown's intact," the mayor added. "That's really great for our economy and for the future of Gatlinburg," 

Miller said firefighters were still working to extinguish about 14 structure fires on Tuesday morning.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but at least three people sustained severe burns, according to TEMA. 

Gatlinburg is located about 185 miles east of Nashville, at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The city has about 4,100 residents. Pigeon Forge is about 5 miles north of Gatlinburg and has a population of around 6,100. Both cities are tourist destinations.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is among the most visited in the U.S. national park system. And Pigeon Forge is home to the Dollywood theme park and resort, which are affiliated with singer, songwriter and actress Dolly Parton. Among the attractions in Gatlinburg is the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies.

On Tuesday morning, the aquarium said via Twitter that the animals at the facility were safe.

Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said at the morning news conference that it was his understanding Dollywood had not experienced any structure fires, although it had been threatened by flames.

The Chimney Tops 2 fire burning in the vicinity of Gatlinburg was estimated to be about 55 acres in a Tuesday morning report from the Southern Area Coordination Center. The center involves seven federal agencies and the Southern Group of State Foresters. It works to manage wildland fires and other emergency incidents.

TEMA said the Chimney Tops fire spread quickly Monday night amid high winds.

Chimney Tops is a roughly 4,700-foot summit in the Great Smoky Mountains. A trail that shares the formation's name is popular with hikers and is known for striking views.

Miller said that winds picked up around 6 p.m. Monday and that some gusts exceeded 87 mph. The high winds carried burning embers through the air and also blew over trees, which knocked down power lines that sparked additional blazes.

"Everything was catching on fire," the chief said.

He lauded the work of local first responders.

"It's difficult to go out into a community and try to protect and serve others when your own property and everything that you've worked for is burning down," he said. "That's what these men and women have done."

The fire chief asked people to limit their use of wireless devices, including cell phones and tablets, because the heavy electronic traffic can cause emergency response systems to "get bogged down."

"We can potentially miss vital communications," Miller said.

TEMA said in its morning update that even though rain was falling Tuesday morning, fires continued to burn and the wetter weather would not bring immediate relief. The agency noted that a state of emergency has been in place since Nov. 10 due to ongoing drought conditions and wildfire threats in Tennessee.

According to the Southern Area Coordination Center's Tuesday morning report, 20 un-contained, large fires were burning on 126,898 acres in the southeastern corner of the country. 

Two of the largest blazes as of Sunday were affecting northern Georgia and western North Carolina—the Rock Mountain Fire, which was 24,725 acres and the Rough Ridge Fire, which was 27,870 acres.

One local resident who spoke up at the morning press conference questioned whether there would be any post-incident critique of how evacuation notices were issued in the Gatlinburg area.

The man, who said he was a retired police officer, added that as he left his home and traveled on Ski Mountain Road, "there was fire on both sides of the road all the way down."

Miller, the fire chief, said the area the man evacuated from was not initially considered to be in danger until after the winds picked up and downed power lines began igniting fires.

"This is a fire for the history books," Miller said. "This is something that, yes, we'll be definitely glad to take and learn from."