Last night, USA Today reported, the Gatlinburg Fire Department declared an immediate and mandatory evacuation of the city. Wildfires are spreading due to strong winds…a tweet from the official Gatlinburg Twitter account calls the move “unprecedented.”
A mandatory evacuation order is also in place in Pigeon Forge, and emergency officials have asked residents of Sevier County to stay off their mobile devices to help communication.
Staff members at Dolly Parton‘s theme park, Dollywood, are taking nessesary precautions to prevent damage to the tourist attraction as the wildfires rage in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Dolly Parton issued the following statement about the wildfires that are raging in her home state & offers her prayers to all those affected by the devastation…
I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken. I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe. It is a blessing that my Dollywood theme park, the DreamMore Resort and so many businesses in Pigeon Forge have been spared.” – Dolly Parton
According to CNN, there are at least 14 different fires burning in and around the area which are being fueled by high winds and the southeast’s worst drought in almost ten years.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those in Tennessee who are affected by these fires.
