In December 2016, ToolBank Disaster Services’ MU-1 unit co-deployed to Eastern Tennessee in response to the Great Smoky Mountains wildfires.
Key partners on the deployment were Team Rubicon and All Hands and Hearts.
Event
In late November 2016, Eastern Tennessee was struck by the devastating Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, impacting multiple communities in the Sevierville / Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge region. The event is also known as the Chimney Tops 2 fire.
The fire occurred in late November 2016, following months of extreme drought, exploding into populated areas on the evening of November 28, 2016. Fanned by hurricane-force winds gusting over 60 to 90 miles per hour, the disaster burned over 17,000 acres of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding areas. More than 2400 buildings were damaged or destroyed. The fires were the deadliest in Tennessee in a century, tragically resulting in 14 fatalities and injuring around 200 people. 14,000 residents and tourists were forced to evacuate the area rapidly as the flames spread into the county.
Response
Over 5 weeks of lending in the region, stretching from early December 2016 – January 2017, we loaned $66,700+ worth of tools in equipment to help clear and clean areas impacted by the wildfires. Some tools we had on hand; others, such as sifting devices, were sent from neighboring states to help in the recovery effort.
In the early stage of our response, chainsaws were the most common tool loaned. Over the five-week deployment, the most used tool was a 2’ x 2’ sifter to help volunteers filter through rubble for anything of value in various buildings and homes impacted by the fires.
