[Reagan]

We are about 28 miles NNW of Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge area and the local news coverage of the fires reports 14,000 evacuated, of the 10 square miles of Gatlinburg they report 50% has been destroyed or damaged.

The real suffering is with the hiundreds whose homes have burned to the ground. There are no accurate numbers of structures lost because until today the officials have not had the opportunity to assess the entire situation, but it is terrible. No reported fatalities, but 3 in critical condition from burns have been transported to Vandy’s burn center in Nashville.

If we get the rain forecast for tomorrow it will help immensely.

[Joe]

The family and I were in Pigeon Forge last Tuesday and Wednesday… we had a great time. There was some smoke around from the fires, but it never even occurred to us that the fire could come into the city.

This kind of thing can hit quickly anywhere anytime. We’ve started keeping the bus packed and ready to go at a moments notice just in case this kind of thing happens to us. I’ve even bought a couple of buckets of that freeze dried food and keep it in the basement so we’re never without. We’re not some sort of preppers packed to the gills with guns or anything but we’re trying to be prepared, just in case.

It could even be something as simple as a prolonged power outage. You just never know.

[Doug]

go to wate tv for a very recent helicopter view of some of the devestation….

[Jimmy]

Terrible! We hope you got all the rain we just did on the other side of the mountains.