Firefighters in Sevier County said they are warning everyone to stay alert to the fire danger as winds stay strong and fires from Tuesday night smolder.
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - In Sevier County, forestry officials sent drones up to see the damage from the air on Wednesday.
They wanted to see how much the acreage was burning and make sure containment lines were holding from more than a dozen fires that broke out overnight.
Previous Coverage: Two homes damaged, evacuations lifted in Sevier County due to brush fires
Firefighters warn to stay aware of what’s going on as long as the winds are high.
“You know we stood here, and we watched over that direction, and it was just glowing in the sky. But what would happen is, the winds would pick up. You would hear and feel the wind just rushing through here,” said Courtney Lindbert.
Lindbert said Tuesday night brought back memories of 2016 wildfires.
“It’s dark, so you really couldn’t see it, but you can see the glow of the flames, which was terrifying,” she said. “So, we got snacks and waters, and then this tote actually came out of our house in 2016.”
Lindbert packed her car and was ready to leave if she got the evacuation order.
“I got some clothes, and I got, like, all of my children’s clothes that I could grab, and then I told my children to go into their rooms and grab what was their favorite things,” she said.
Firefighters in Sevier County said rains overnight helped knock down the flames that damaged two structures, but they said the fire danger isn’t over yet.
“March is known for wildfires in our county historically. It is not uncommon for us to see that,” said Sevier County Fire Chief David Puckett. “I really want people to take steps to make their home Firewise.”
Some of Lindbert’s family members did get the evacuation orders, but she’s thankful none of them saw any damage.
“All it takes is one ember flying up and or a transformer blowing or something to that extent. So we knew that we didn’t want to put them through driving out of here in something that they didn’t need to see here so we got,” said Lindbert.
Across Sevier County, there were four wildfires Tuesday night. As of Wednesday at 7 p.m., the state’s forestry website says the fire in Pittman Center is 400 acres in size and only 20% contained.
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