Statewide Severe Weather & Sevier County Wildfire

HIGHLIGHTS

• Crews make progress in containing two fires in Sevier County.

• Recovery information for wildfire survivors on TEMA’s website, Sevier County Wildfire Recovery, and at Mountain Tough.

• Local and state emergency officials continue with storm damage assessments today in Madison County.

• SEOC in Nashville will operate over the weekend.

• A State of Emergency remains in place.

CURRENT SITUATION

This afternoon, Division of Forestry representatives at the State Emergency Operations Center in Nashville reported fire crews have made containment progress on the two wildfires currently burning in Sevier County.

The Wears Valley wildfire, currently more than 3,700 acres, is 85 percent contained, and the Seymour wildfire, estimated at 800 acres, is 20 percent contained.

Drier weather conditions are expected this weekend for East Tennessee.  This will mean the potential remains for new fires to ignite and will make fighting existing fires treacherous.

Local and state officials continued to coordinate damage assessments today in Madison County, where the severe weather damaged the Sheriff’s Office, a nursing home, residences, and businesses, and disrupted 9-1-1 dispatch service for the fire department.

Power outages in Tennessee are below 1,000 statewide with 300 outages each in Madison and Sevier counties.

The State Emergency Operations Center in Nashville will operate over the weekend in support of local requests and needs for assistance, and the State of Emergency will continue. 

WILDFIRE RECOVERY RESOURCES

• Visit TEMA’s Sevier County Wildfire Recovery webpage and Mountain Tough website for information on how to help wildfire survivors.

• TEMA encourages those who would like to help to make a financial donation to a relief organization, such as Mountain Tough or American Red Cross, as the best way to help those in need. 

• Sevier County is accepting donations of specific items, on specific days at the Sevier County Fairgrounds.  Please see this Mountain Tough webpage for the specific donation times and the items only accepted for donation.

• The Pigeon Forge Community Center continues to operate as an evacuee shelter at 170 Community Center Drive, in Pigeon Forge.

KEY MESSAGES

• Be sure to prevent the development of fires and wildfires:
  • Do not throw smoking materials into brush or leaves.
  • Build campfires only where allowed.
  • Never build a campfire in hazardous or dry conditions.
  • Do not burn trash or other items during dry or windy conditions.
  • Check local regulations to see if a permit is required to burn material.
  • Select a burn site away from powerlines, buildings, vehicles, equipment and other flammable objects.

• If you’ve been evacuated, only return to your home when local officials announce it is safe to return.

• Be mindful of low visibility in smoky conditions, and drive with your headlights on.

• Follow the instructions of emergency officials.

• Have multiple ways to receive weather and news information, especially weather watches and warnings.

WEATHER FORECAST

• Memphis:  Partly cloudy tonight and 43.

• Nashville: Partly cloudy and 36 tonight.

• Knoxville: Partly cloudy tonight and 34.

• Chattanooga:  Partly cloudy and chilly tonight, 40.