The Appalachian widlfires

Andrew Bulieris
Sports Editor

    Over the course of the past couple weeks, areas in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee have dealing with tragic wildfires that have destroyed an extraordinary amount of wild life, have also burned down numerous communities, and even killed people. The fires have mainly spread into areas of Tennessee, Some highly populated areas of Tennessee, including the city of Gatlinburg. There has been a reported fifty-three fire-related injuries and seven fire-related deaths in the Gatlinburg area. Strong winds that forced the fires into the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge has caused both of those areas to be evacuated

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    The winds came ahead of rain, the first substantial amount for the region in months, which brought relief for firefighters battling large drought-induced blazes across southern Appalachia. President Obama has spoken with Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to offer support to the areas gravely devastated. An estimated 14,000 were evacuated, and about three hundred different structures and seven hundred homes have been destroyed in the fires. Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters said he has "never seen anything like this in the county." The fire was exacerbated on Tuesday by what authorities have described as "hurricane-force" winds of up to 87 mph. Over two hundred firefighters remain on the ground to this day continuing to attempt to lay waste to these fires that have devastated Sevier County. Last week the beginning of this raging wildfire started in western North Carolina and have been about 85 percent contained.