WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEERaw: Aerial Video shows Tennessee homes in ashes | 0:58
Aerial video shows homes and trees damaged in wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Officials say crews discovered the remains of more people as they searched through rubble, bringing the death toll to 11. (Dec. 2) AP
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEAt least 10 killed in Smoky Mountain wildfire | 0:55
A fire has scorched 17,000 acres and killed several people in eastern Tennessee. At least 10 killed In Smoky Mountain wildfire, others still missing. Time
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEMayor: ‘Heart’ of Tenn. City Intact After Fire | 1:45
Officials are discussing re-opening a Tennessee city later this week after wildfires forced the evacuation of thousands. “The downtown area is the pulse, the heart of the city. Thankfully it’s intact,” said Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner. (Dec. 1) AP
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEAP Exclusive: National park in Tenn. after fire | 2:49
The Associated Press was allowed inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Thursday, to shoot video of fire damage. No other media have been allowed in the park since the fire started spreading on Monday. (Dec. 2) AP
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEETennessee wildfires leave trail of destruction | 1:04
At least seven people have been killed in Tennessee’s devastating wildfires, and others are still missing. USA TODAY NETWORK
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEMayor: More bodies recovered in wildfire rubble | 1:46
A Tennessee mayor says three more bodies have been recovered after the wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountains, bringing the death toll to seven. (Nov. 30) AP
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEStepbrothers film harrowing escape from TN Fire | 0:56
Thousands of people made “hell-like” escapes from wildfires that burned hundreds of homes, destroyed a resort in the Great Smoky Mountains and killed three people. Two stepbrothers caught their harrowing escape on their iPhone. (Nov. 29) AP
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEOver 100 Structures Damaged in Tenn. Wildfire | 2:08
City officials say that hundreds of homes and other buildings were damaged or destroyed by flames from wildfires in Tennessee. (Nov. 29) AP
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEGeneral manager: ‘All is fine’ at Ripley’s Aquarium | 0:51
Ryan Desear, general manager of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, talks about the Gatlinburg fire on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. Michael Patrick
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEGatlinburg homes, hotels ablaze as wildfires spread in the south | 0:54
But no deaths reported in Smoky Mountains blazes in Tenn. Time
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEEvacuations ordered as Tennessee wildfires rage | 1:36
Tennessee officials say thousands of residents and visitors in the Gatlinburg area have been evacuated and hundreds of structures have been damaged and destroyed by spreading wildfires. (Nov. 29) AP
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEArrowmont executive director: Most of school saved from fire | 0:59
Bill May, executive director of Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, says Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, that most of the school’s property was saved from the fires in Gatlinburg. Michael Patrick/News Sentinel
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEFire forces Ripley’s Aquarium staff to leave animals behind | 1:23
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is home to nearly 11,000 animals, including some endangered species. The general manager says staff were forced to evacuate, but would rather sacrifice their own lives to save the animals. WBIR
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEDramatic escape from Tennessee wildfire caught on camera | 1:28
As everything around them burned, two stepbrothers captured their harrowing drive to safety in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. USA TODAY NETWORK
WILDFIRES WREAK HAVOC IN TENNESSEEFirst responders assembled for Sevier County wildfire response | 0:23
First responders have gathered at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, to aid in the Sevier County wildfire response. Amy Smotherman Burgess/News Sentinel
GATLINBURG, Tenn. — 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.
Critics have raised questions on what local authorities knew about the real danger of the fire and when officials alerted residents and visitors to flee as the it raced toward town. Although an emergency management system sent out an alert, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said that alert never went to all local mobile devices because of constraints of the system.
“We’re not going to get into Monday-morning quarterbacking,” Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said as he cut short a news conference. “We did the best we could with what we had, and we’re sorry.”
The fire headed toward this town of about 4,000 full-time residents in the Great Smoky Mountains around 6 p.m. ET Monday, and more than 14,000 residents and visitors were forced to evacuate. The first alert went out after 9 p.m.
• Alice Hagler, 70, of Gatlinburg, missing from a collection of rental cabins called Chalet Village, was one of three dead found in that neighborhood, her son has said.
• Jon and Janet Summers, a 61-year-old couple from Memphis who also had been staying in Chalet Village, apparently died there as well, according to Jon Summers’ brother, Jim. Officials confirmed the Summers’ deaths at Friday’s news conference and released the names of three others.
• John Tegler, 71, and Janet Tegler, 70, who were visiting from Canada, also died in Chalet Village, said Vincent Tolley, an assistant medical examiner.
• May Vance, 75, of Gatlinburg died of a heart attack because of smoke inhalation.
Another victim has been identified, but that person’s relatives haven’t yet been notified, Tolley said. Officials still are working to confirm the identities of the remaining dead.
The announcement came about an hour after residents in the hardest-hit parts of town were allowed to return to their homes and buildings to assess damage. Homeowners and tenants were told to provide proof of residency to enter the city, which police have barricaded by police since Monday’s evacuation.
Joined by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Waters said the National Guard and other emergency services personnel continue to search through some of more than 1,000 buildings destroyed or damaged in the fire. Guardsmen conducting health and welfare checks have been marking driveways as they sweep communities.
Officials hoped to have as much as 90% of the affected areas searched by nightfall Friday.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the National Park Service has said the blaze was human-caused, a term that could mean arson or an unintentional ignition of the fire from something such as a campfire whose embers still were hot beneath the ashes. Investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are working with Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers to determine the origin of the fire, which started Nov. 23 in the remote Chimney Tops Trail area of the park, and whether someone set it on purpose.
So far, 85 people have been treated for fire-related injuries, officials said.
For days, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller has warned about the chance the fires could reignite, noting that couple of inches of rain received early this week wouldn’t necessarily make up for drought conditions that plagued the area all summer. On Thursday, smoke still rose from blackened brush piles, logs and homes. Several open flames could be seen sporadically.
Miller said the majority of the major fires were out, but firefighters continued to stamp out remaining hot spots.
Fire appeared to strike homes and businesses haphazardly. One row of houses might survive unscathed, while a business across the street would be gutted.
Some were able to make it back to their properties earlier this week. Retired teacher Richard T. Ramsey and his wife, Sue, found the home where they lived for 41 years reduced to ash and rubble.
Steve Wilson watched Wednesday afternoon as his wife, Rebecca Bell, sifted through charred wood and residue, pulling out spoons while searching for a ring that had sentimental value.
Ramsey said 41 years of work went up in less than three hours. Wilson said he knew neighbors who didn’t lose their homes felt guilty.
Both said they plan to rebuild.
About 200 people remained in shelters Thursday night, down from 2,000 earlier this week, according to the Red Cross. Donations continue to pour in.
Tennessee state officials said they continue to offer services for those who need to file insurance or unemployment claims.
City officials hope to have most of Gatlinburg reopened to the public sometime next week.
Follow Dave Boucher on Twitter: @Dave_Boucher1
