File:Wildfires in southeastern United States (MODIS 2016-12-03).jpg

English: The closing days of November 2016 proved to be deadly ones in the drought-stricken hills of the southeastern United States. Fires have plagued the tinder-dry region throughout the summer and fall, burning thousands of acres of forest and grasslands and pumping large amounts of smoke into the atmosphere. On November 28, one relatively small fire burning in the hills of East Tennessee turned deadly, aggressively sweeping through the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. As of December 2, the death toll stands at 13, with approximately 80 people injured. An estimated 700 structures were torched by this fire as it blazed across Sevier County, Tennessee.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a true-color image of the fiery scene on November 26. The fires and their location are best viewed by clicking on the 500 m resolution link at the bottom of the page.

At the time the image was captured, heavy smoke poured from multiple fires in North Carolina and South Carolina. Two relatively small heat signatures are visible in the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee. These two fires represent small fires burning at Chimney Tops (southwest) and, most likely, at Cobbly Knob (northeast).

Fire was first reported at Chimney Tops, located about 8 miles south of Gatlinburg, on the evening of November 23. The fire was named Chimney Tops 2, and vigorous firefighting efforts which included three helicopters were not able to completely quench the fire as it burned in steep and difficult-to-reach terrain. Growth was slow until November 27 when winds picked up to a steady 20 mph and the fire reached about 500 acres in size.

On November 28, winds became stronger, with gusts reported at 80 mph. The driving winds blew blazing embers across the mountains, turning pine trees into torches. Downed power lines created additional fires. At 11:30 a.m., flames were reported near the Park Vista Hotel in Gatlinburg. By the evening, fire reached well into the city, igniting multiple buildings simultaneously as evacuations were ordered for the entire city of Gatlinburg and much of Pigeon Forge. Flames were closely threatening many dozens – if not hundreds – of additional buildings as rains began to fall across the area in the early morning hours of November 29. The rain aided fire-fighting efforts, undoubtedly saving both structures and lives.

As of December 2, the Chimney Tops 2 Fire has consumed 17,109 acres and is being fought by approximately 600 personnel. Over 700 structures have been burned, including many landmarks in Gatlinburg. According to Inciweb, the fire is only 25% contained, with an anticipated 100% containment date of December 20. Substantial rainfall across the region has helped suppress fires in several states. However, fire officials caution that the high fire risks are not yet over and that the Chimney Tops 2 fire, in particular, is not out, but has merely been knocked down. Additional dry days over the weekend may increase fire activity before additional rain comes next week.

The Chimney Tops 2 fire has been listed as human-caused. Fire and park officials are requesting that every person who hiked, or knew someone who hiked, the Chimney Tops Trail on Wednesday, November 23, to contact the investigative team to respond to a series of questions that will help provide much–needed information. Hikers can contact the investigators through any of the following means: Calling the Tip Line at 1-888-653-0009; sending an email to the Tip Line at nps_isb@nps.gov; sending a tweet to @SpecialAgentNPS, or filling out an online tip form at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ TipLine_ InvestigativeServicesNPS