As many of you may have seen by now, our town was devastated this week with deadly wildfires. As of today, this is what we know:

A brush fire started in the Chimney’s area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over the weekend. By Monday morning, this 50 acre fire had evolved into a 500 acre fire, due to high speed gusts of wind, extremely dry conditions due to drought, and downed power lines. As of now, over 700 buildings have been destroyed, approximately 70 people are missing, and 10 fatalities have been confirmed.

Thankfully, our office was spared. The Tyrolea and Alpendorf sections of Chalet Village has been saved, however much of Wiley Oakley, Greystone Heights, and Chalet Village North is all destroyed. Many main attractions such as Ripley’s Aquarium and Dollywood were saved.

Despite all of this, our community has maintained a steady resilience and has come together in an incredible way. There has been an outpouring of support in the form of donations, volunteers, and food and drink for everyone who has lost a home or business, and all of the incredible firefighters, EMT, police officers who have dedicated their time to saving our city.

What we need most, is your support! Gatlinburg has always thrived on our tourism industry, so please, don’t think you cannot come to visit us. Our area is still just as beautiful, and with your support, we will build back everything that has been lost, and more.

If you would like to make a donation, you can mail a check to:

“Relief Fund”

Account #27352387

Sevier County Bank
111 E Main Street
Sevierville, TN 37864-5288

 

For the most up to date information on the Gatlinburg Wildfires, please tune into our facebook page at www.facebook.com/Jasonwhiteteam We update this page several times a day as the news comes in.

Thank you all for your outpouring support and prayers. Our area is truly a beautiful place and will come back better than ever!