Near or far, thousands were ready to give a helping hand to the Gatlinburg area.
During a dry fire season, Sevier County fell victim to one of the largest wildfires in the state’s history which swept through Gatlinburg, displacing tens of thousands of residents and visitors while destroying numerous homes and businesses in the process.
But the “Volunteer State” motto rang true, with numerous emergency personnel agencies taking the trip down to Gatlinburg to help with rescue and fire efforts — including Carter County and Elizabethton.
One month ago to the day, members of the Elizabethton Fire Department were invited to the regularly scheduled Kiwanis Club of Elizabethton meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 27, to receive the organization’s inaugural Distinguished Service Award and share the story of the efforts in Gatlinburg. The team that worked the fires locally included members from the Elizabethton, Hampton, Elk Mills and Rogersville fire departments.
The Kiwanis Club of Elizabethton issued a statement commending the efforts of the firemen.
“The firemen went above and beyond their call of duty to help our Tennessee neighbors in a time of need and crisis and exemplified courage, perseverance and sacrifice,” the statement read. “These men helped saved several businesses and homes during their stand fighting several fires. The Kiwanis Club of Elizabethton is proud to honor and recognize these specific individuals in the Elizabethton area that provide an outstanding act of service to our community or region that impact children’s lives.
“The Kiwanis Club of Elizabethton seeks to embody the Club’s motto ‘Serving the Children of the World’ through various fundraising activities which directly support children and organizations serving children in the Elizabethton community.”
EFD Deputy Chief Rusty Barnett shared the story of the team’s effort to Kiwanis members, recalling the night when the team received the green light to help with the efforts.
“We were anxious to go and help,” Barnett said. “We didn’t have a clue about what we were going to see.”
EFD descended to the area with five firemen while joining up with a crew from Hampton on the first night.
The team, which later included the previously mentioned departments over the next couple of days, operated out of Gatlinburg-Pittman High School and were first dispatched to a potential fire up on a mountain.
Barnett recalled the trip up the hill, comparing the road to Dennis Cove, and making it to the house and seeing the fire not yet at the house. But on the drive up, the deputy chief added that other houses were on the line, so the firemen descended back down the hill to provide assistance, saving five homes in the process.
It was at that time when Barnett added he noticed a glow, which turned out to be the Gatlinburg Falls Resort Convention engulfed in flames.
While looking to address the area, which included multiple high-dollar cabins, Barnett added he was searching for the Hampton crew. He told attendees, with a smile, that he did see the Hampton firemen off in the distance, spraying down an exposure on the center to cause the fire not to spread. Barnett credited the firemen’s efforts, saving multiple cabins in the process. Along with that incident, another spurred up at a cabin where the team had to make another stand to save structures, working with limited water from the two trucks — EFD and Hampton.
Battling fires several hours straight, Barnett credited the firemen’s efforts, adding that he’d put his life on the line with them and joked “you give them a leaf blower and fire rank and watch them go at it.”
While successful, Barnett added communication was a problem in Gatlinburg with hundreds of departments on the scene and an inability to communicate effectively. Problems included high wind speeds and the destruction of cell phone towers — located at the top of mountains in the area.
Following the meeting, the club added they were going to have Hampton firemen that assisted attend a future meeting, tentatively in January, to recognize their service.