Chimney2Fire

[rmitchell]

Latest information on the Gatlinburg fire link http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5112/,.

Local news is reporting up 1000 buildings damaged or destroyed. So far 13 fatalities, but several still missing.
.

[rmitchell]

I'm not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but the National Park Service and the ATF have asked that anyone that hiked the Chimney Top trail on Wednesday, Nov. 23 to contact them. Phone 1-888-653-0009 or link to e-mail or twitter at inciweb.

WATE TV news reports indicted strong possibility that fire was human caused. One reporter even said arson, but that may be speculation.

[HooKooDooKu]

WATE TV news reports indicted strong possibility that fire was human caused. One reporter even said arson, but that may be speculation.

The location of the fire on a clear day makes it pretty obvious it was human caused (unless some bears found a lighter someone left behind).
My personal opinion is that it's not going to be arson (because I find it hard to believe an arsonist is going to walk 1 to 2 miles into the woods, start a fire, and walk back out).
The simplest explanation is a Chimney Tops Trail day hiker that once they got to the top, lit a cigarette and thoughtlessly tossed it off the side of the hill.

[Dogwood]

Chimney Tops burnt? Sad.

Wouldn't doubt HooKooDooKu. Like to find the person and put a cig out on his forehead.

[squeezebox]

A good reason to not smoke when hiking or in the woods in general.

[illabelle]

It's not even been a whole week yet, and damage assessments are still being made. A few people are still missing, but the national news media has moved on. "Massive blaze in Cambridge." "Deadly warehouse fire" in Oakland. "House fire in Ohio." And then there are the political fires still being tended and fanned in hot spots of the country.

Even if they found the guilty cigarette tosser, it wouldn't matter. No lesson would be learned. When the trail is re-opened, people will still do dumb things.

While the world forgets the Chimney Tops and Gatlinburg, turning to more exciting news, a widespread drizzly rain is falling, soothing the scorched earth and rinsing ashes from the vegetation of unburnt areas. Nature doesn't mourn.

[Engine]

Months of drought, fire bans all over the area, and nothing but bone-dry vegetation as far as the eye can see...Man that menthol was refreshing, let me throw this burning ember into the leaf litter.

Sigh...

[rocketsocks]

It's worth noting that a piece of glass from say a discarded bottle can on a sunny day cause a fire. I'd like nothing more than to burn the witch too, but until we know for sure (and fire science is a wonderful accurate science) let's not trash day hiking smokers.

[clusterone]

Racketsocks, Can we b---- about them inconsiderately tossing butts out their car windows after ever smoke? The is a known fact... We need a LTN initiative for smokers in general. Smoke all you want just quit littering.

[illabelle]

Racketsocks, Can we b---- about them inconsiderately tossing butts out their car windows after ever smoke? The is a known fact... We need a LTN initiative for smokers in general. Smoke all you want just quit littering.

Amen......!

[gracebowen]

I smoke. I carry a red solo cup with an inch of water in the bottom. Thats where my butts go.

When i hike and smoke I snuff it out on a rock then stick the butt in my pocket.

[Venchka]

I smoke. I carry a red solo cup with an inch of water in the bottom. Thats where my butts go.

When i hike and smoke I snuff it out on a rock then stick the butt in my pocket.

Spoken like a true Vet. We were taught right.
If smokers behaved like they are portrayed on this forum, the planet would have been reduced to ashes long ago.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[illabelle]

Thank you!!

I smoke. I carry a red solo cup with an inch of water in the bottom. Thats where my butts go.

When i hike and smoke I snuff it out on a rock then stick the butt in my pocket.

[soumodeler]

I smoke. I carry a red solo cup with an inch of water in the bottom. Thats where my butts go.

When i hike and smoke I snuff it out on a rock then stick the butt in my pocket.

I wish all smokers would pick up your habits. I see far too many butts on the trail, especially in campfire rings.

[HooKooDooKu]

It's worth noting that a piece of glass from say a discarded bottle can on a sunny day cause a fire.

Keep in mind, this fire started in the back country. So while the glass bottle theory is not outside the range of possibilities, I don't see many glass bottles in the back country.

What I do see is that there is a large enough population of smokers that I find it difficult to go to any crowed spot in the park (such as Clingman's Dome) without seeing someone smoking.

I don't mean to demonize all smokers. But again the location of the original fire and the prevalence of smokers in the back country makes for a simple explication compared to theories of glass bottles or arsonists willing to walk for miles.

[rocketsocks]

Hey, do what you want...I do. But I think it best not to demonize hikers in general, be it day/section/thru or other, it's less about the smoker and more about not associating the fire with hikers until such time it's found it was...we don't don't need the bad press, ya know? I haven't smoked for about 13 years and smoked for 27, I won't say I never flipped a butt before, but it was before I learned it was stupid to do so. As far as an arsonist not walking miles to commit the dirty deed...not so sure I'd underestimate the insanity of an arsonist.

[rocketsocks]

...also, I find liquor bottles in the woods all the time, and some pretty cool old ones (as far as litter goes) from time to time

[HooKooDooKu]

Surprised to learn that two juveniles have been charged with arson for the Chimney Tops Fire.
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/tr...d-14/474025980
I wasn't expecting much when officials asked for input from anyone who hiked the Chimney Tops trail the day the fire started.

[madgoat]

Sad. It breaks my heart to think that this might have been intentionally started. I doubt these kids thought they would end up killing people, but reality has a way of being harsh.

[Ktaadn]

Why weren't they charged with murder? I thought that was commonly done when arson results in deaths.