Qualla: 2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires

2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires: Introduction

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Aludden1, CC BY-SA 4.0. The fire hydrants ran dry first. On the evening of November 28, 2016, with winds screaming through the hollows at 87 miles per hour, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller called for help from all of Sevier County, then from the entire state of Tennessee. Power had failed at pumping stations. Other stations had burned outright. The radio system was overloaded, cell towers were down, and the 911 system was so overwhelmed that calls meant for Sevier County were routed to Putnam County, 100 miles to the west. In a national park that receives more visitors than any other in America, the infrastructure for fighting a catastrophe simply ceased to function.

Image: Aludden1 | CC BY-SA 4.0

2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires: Five Days of Inaction

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States, CC0. The Chimney Tops 2 Fire was first reported on November 23, 2016, deep within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Park fire officials chose not to suppress it. Instead, they drew a containment boundary using natural features -- ridgelines and streams -- and hoped it would hold. F...

Image: Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States | CC0

2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires: The Night Gatlinburg Burned

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 3.0. On November 28, park employees watched the fire jump past the Chimneys Picnic Area, north of the containment line. Wind-driven sparks and downed power lines ignited new blazes across Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge throughout the afternoon and evening. A separate fire destroyed much ...

Image: Doug Coldwell | CC BY-SA 3.0

2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires: Dolly's People Fund

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Brian Stansberry, CC BY 2.5. Dolly Parton grew up in Sevierville, just miles from the devastation. Her theme park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, was largely spared, but Parton was heartbroken. She acted fast. On December 13, a telethon in Nashville featuring Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, John Rich, John Oates, ...

Image: Brian Stansberry | CC BY 2.5

2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires: Questions of Accountability

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Thomson200, CC0. Two juveniles were initially charged with aggravated arson but the charges were dropped, partly due to a jurisdictional agreement between Tennessee and the Department of the Interior that prevented the state from prosecuting crimes occurring entirely within the park. Investigatio...

Image: Thomson200 | CC0

2016 Great Smoky Mountains Wildfires: Come Back and Visit Us

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit No machine-readable author provided. Blinutne assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0. Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner delivered his city's message plainly: "If you really want to do something for Gatlinburg, come back and visit us." The region was already reeling. Small business owners on Second Avenue and throughout Gatlinburg's tourist district had been weathering ...

Image: No machine-readable author provided. Blinutne assumed (based on copyright claims). | CC BY-SA 3.0