The Chimney Tops 2 wildfire in Gatlinburg, Tennessee has now taken at least 11 lives, destroyed hundreds of structures, and devastated the tight-knit community and tourist destination.
The fire was still burning on December 2, although fire officials said that the blaze had hit a “lull” because of rain. However, they said the deadly fire was only knocked down and was not yet out, and they advised people to continue using caution.
The official Chimney Tops 2 Facebook page, which officials use to communicate updates about the fire to the public, has published several photos from above.
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An aerial view of the Chimney Tops 2 fire. (Facebook)
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The Chimney Tops 2 Facebook page wrote on December 1 of this photo: “Aerial views of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (facing north), showing large strips of unburned forest intermingled with areas that burned in the Chimney Tops 2 Fire. The fire perimeter includes lots of areas that were not touched by the fire. In these photos, you can see Gatlinburg in the distance.”
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Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Others, including local television stations, have also taken to the sky during the course of the horrific blaze to take videos and photos of the scene from the air. It’s easier to get a sense of the scope of the fire’s path and its devastation that way. The people who died in the fire are just starting to be named. They include Jon and Janet Summers, a couple from Memphis who were celebrating a birthday with their three adult sons (the sons survived), and Alice Hagler, a grandmother, mother and retiree who had called her son to say her cabin was burning.
Before: