State of Emergency Issued After Gatlinburg Wildfires
A state of emergency has prompted evacuations in Eastern Tennessee after several raging wildfires move from the Smoky Mountains down to residential areas.
Officials say at least 30 buildings in Gatlinburg have been damaged or impacted by the flames. Many people are without power and phone lines are down, prompting Facebook to start its safety check feature for the area.
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.
In a news release Tuesday morning, authorities say three people who suffered severe burns have been transferred from a Knoxville hospital to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, which has a burn unit. A fourth person is being treated for facial burns in Knoxville.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency says hundreds of firefighters as well as local and state personnel and National Guard troops have been sent in to help fight the blaze and check on people.
Officials say about 14,000 residents and visitors were evacuated from Gatlinburg alone.
According to the news release, preliminary surveys indicate that Westgate Resorts with more than 100 buildings and Ober Gatlinburg are both likely destroyed.
