Wildfire Relief Fund Established for Gatlinburg First Responders

The Gatlinburg Firefighters Association, in conjunction with the Tennessee Fire Chiefs Association, has established the Gatlinburg Public Safety Employees Wildfire Relief Fund to aid those Gatlinburg Firefighters and Police Officers who lost their homes and contents in the recent wildfire.

A website has been created for persons or organizations wishing to donate or volunteer services to assist Gatlinburg first responders: www.gatlinburgwildfirerelief.com. The site will also provide information on the ongoing relief efforts in Sevier County. Any remaining funds will be used to help other public service workers who worked during the wildfire event that are in need of assistance.

The wildfire, which in part spread from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park into the eastern Tennessee resort city of Gatlinburg, burned approximately 2,000 buildings in Sevier County, including hundreds in Gatlinburg, killed 14 people and injured another 160 people (figures as of 12-6-16).

An official website for the overall Smoky Mountain area recovery effort has been established as well: www.mountaintough.org. This website was built in combination with Sevier County and the cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, Tennessee. The site is now available (some sections undergoing construction) and contains the following information.

For persons needing assistance:
Housing
Shelters
Employment
Counseling
How to rebuild
Interactive Sevier County Structure Status Map.

For persons/organizations wanting to provide assistance:
Donating money
Donating time
Donating items.

The site also contains sections for media and general wildfire information.