Gatlinburg wildfire survivors group test political muscle

May 07--PIGEON FORGE -- For months, Gatlinburg City Council has refused to address questions from members of a survivors group about the lack of public notifications during the deadly Nov. 28 wildfires.

From the perspective of the Gatlinburg Wildfire Survivors, those who wield political power in Gatlinburg have labeled them as nothing more than a band of troublemakers. Appearing at public meetings has been fruitless. Submitting written questions to Gatlinburg City Manager Cindy Ogle proved futile.

Several members said Gatlinburg city officials portrayed the survivors group, which is 322 members strong on social media, as denigrating firefighters and law enforcement officers that responded to the wind-swept wildfire. Members of the group, however, emphasized their respect and gratitude for the first responders who risked their lives battling flames even though some knew their own homes were in danger.

Since members of city council won't respond to their concerns about the safety of residents and visitors to the resort area and improve public safety plans, the survivors group decided to flex its political muscle and work to change city council.

The first step toward that goal occurred Saturday when George Hawkins, a candidate for Seat E on Gatlinburg's five-member city council, addressed the group at a Pigeon Forge hotel. The meeting was scheduled for Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge, but inclement weather prompted the move indoors.

Hawkins addressed the 26 people assembled for the meeting and then listened to their concerns and suggestions. Hawkins served on city council from 1976 to 2000.

He said he decided to seek a seat on council after seeing too many quality programs and events "fall by the wayside" under the existing leadership. He said he was responsible for securing the downtown flood warning system when he was on council and wants a more comprehensive system to deal with a multitude of potential emergencies.

Hawkins' flood warning system, which consisted of a string of public address speakers, wasn't activated Nov. 28 until the majority of Gatlinburg's residents had already decided to evacuate.

"You want to get all these sirens and warnings," said Genie Bradham. "The problem is, who's in charge of saying 'evacuate.'"

Hawkins nodded in agreement.

"I hate to speculate," he said, "but once you evacuate, there goes all that money."

That was the conclusion Mark Robinson reached in a letter sent to Governor Bill Haslam. Robinson and his wife live in West Knox County but had rented a cabin in Gatlinburg for a family vacation. Robinson and his family, including two grandchildren, fled the cabin only to encounter flames sweeping across their escape route.

Robinson is a retired emergency planner who devised various responses to potential disasters in Oak Ridge.

He decried the lack of information the public needed to escape flames driven by winds approaching 90 mph. When he sought safety advice from the Gatlinburg Fire Department and rangers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, he was told there was no danger and no need to evacuate.

Robinson noted in his letter to Haslam city officials placed the economic welfare of Gatlinburg over public safety.

Hawkins told the group he supported creating a citizen corps of people "with chainsaws and pickup trucks" to clear escape routes in a disaster.

"As soon as I get elected, that first council meeting would be a good meeting to go to," Hawkins said. Gatlinburg's city election is scheduled for May 16.

Cheryl Refsland, a Pigeon Forge resident who provided shelter for friends who fled Gatlinburg, said her firefighter son in Missouri was appalled at the lack information on the fires provided to the public. Tears welled in her eyes as she recalled a tweet from a firefighter in Gatlinburg to his mother that stated, "It was like the gates of hell had opened."

"I want accountability," Refsland said. "I want a memorial for the people who lost their lives. And I want city officials to say, 'We didn't do things right and we're going to change things to make Gatlinburg safer.'"

Authorities attributed 14 deaths to the wildfires. Nearly 2,500 structures were damaged or consumed by flames that covered more than 17,000 acres and tallied more than $911 million in insurance claims.

Several survivors at Saturday's gathering said they had been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of the ordeal of escaping flames on narrow, winding roads often blocked by felled trees.

Chris Dunaway, the current leader of the group started by Melinda Tipton Stites, said he spends $150 weekly for the services of a psychologist for his PTSD.

Dunaway lived on Baskins Creek Road in Gatlinburg, an area where no structures were left standing after the fire. He said he asked several passing firefighters and police officers if he was in danger. Each time, he said, he was assured by the public safety personnel he was safe.

Before his cabin was consumed by flames, he fled with his dog, a computer and his cat, Snowball. The cat, however, had never been in a carry crate. The terrified feline squirmed free and fled and has not been seen since.

"If I could get Snowball back, I wouldn't mind losing my cabin," Dunaway said.

Dunaway, 47, took over the group for Stites while she is out of state. She created the group on Facebook "to help people," Dunaway said.

"We're like a big family," he said as a member of the group stopped to hug him before leaving. Using Facebook, Dunaway said members of the group last Thursday provided detailed information to each other when winds measured at 100 mph ripped through the area.

Dunaway sold his lot on Baskins Creek Road and has relocated to Pigeon Forge.

"I'm leading the group into a direction to make Gatlinburg safe," he said.

"I know God has a plan for me and I think this is it. I would love to run for city council."

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