[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6605-S6606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SEVIER COUNTY, TENNESSEE, WILDFIRES

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak on two 
matters. The first is the matter of wildfires in Tennessee.
  Anybody who has been watching television the last few days has seen 
the devastation caused by the runaway wildfires just outside the Great 
Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, TN. We are not used to 
that in Tennessee. I know we have debates on the floor, and we have 
colleagues who see the fires in the West where it doesn't rain much, a 
few inches of rain a year, but in the Great Smoky Mountains where I 
live--I live just outside of the park--we have 80, 83 inches of rain a 
year. We have dense forests, and this time of year the leaves are all 
over the ground, and usually there is a lot of rain to tamp that down.

[[Page S6606]]

  For the last few months, we have not had rain, and so the forest 
floor is like a tinderbox. On Monday, in the chimney tops area of the 
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a fire started--maybe it was a 
campfire--and then winds as high as 80 to 90 miles an hour came and 
swept the fire through the park and into the resort town of Gatlinburg.
  There were stories of firefighters getting back in their trucks to 
avoid the bears who were fleeing the fire. There were stories of cars 
catching fire as motorists drove to escape the fire. A couple from 
Alabama said they watched their windshield wipers melt on the car as 
they drove down the mountain. At least four people have been killed and 
others are missing. Fortunately, by now the fires have been pretty much 
been put out. There were no fire outbreaks that were new in Pigeon 
Forge, which is nearby. Gatlinburg had some more fire outbreaks, but 
the rain that fell last night helped to put most of those out. The 
small town of Gatlinburg, a picturesque community on the edge of the 
Smokies where people have vacationed and have gone for their 
honeymoons, had to evacuate 14,000 citizens.

  The Red Cross in addition to other independent groups operated six 
shelters. The mayor of Gatlinburg told people that his home burned up 
in 15 minutes. The city manager's home burned down. We have had a 
tremendous response from the Governor of our State, Governor Haslam, 
who was on the spot the next day with many of his State officials. 
There were 400 firefighters and more than 100 firetrucks that came from 
all parts of Tennessee. There were National Guardsmen and highway 
patrolmen. The Governor said they haven't seen a fire like that in 
Tennessee in 100 years. As I said, 14,000 citizens have been evacuated.
  This is a heartbreaking story for all of us who know and love the 
Great Smoky Mountains and the people who live near there. I want the 
residents in Sevier County, Gatlinburg, and that area to know that 
Senator Corker and I--and all of us in the Federal delegation--will do 
whatever we can appropriately do to help. That starts with helping pay 
for 75 percent of the cost of fighting fires, and, after that, 
cooperating with Governor Haslam as the State looks for ways to help 
individuals who might be hurt by this.
  I know the mayor of Gatlinburg, the city manager, and Larry Waters, 
the county mayor, would want me to say that this is a resilient town 
and resilient people, and they are going to be fine, but it is going to 
be tough and hard. Fire always is. But Dollywood will be open at 2 p.m. 
on Friday, and people will be coming back. They have about 10 million 
people visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park every year. We 
don't want people to stay away, but I do want the people of Gatlinburg 
and Sevier County to know how much we care for them and how determined 
we are to help them help themselves so they can get back on their feet.

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