PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — Fire crews tackled a brush fire on Friday after it broke out in the area of Parkside Resort near Little Cove Road and Pine Mountain Road. The fire was fully contained Friday afternoon, and crews were wrapping up work to put out a few remaining hot spots.
The crew worked to contain the fire for several hours. They worried it would spread to the resort or nearby homes.
"It started as a 10-or-15-acre brush fire, but it was very wind-driven," said Chief Tony Watson of the Pigeon forge Fire department. "The fire was acting very unpredictably."
Wind frequently complicates fires like this one. It leads to a quicker, more erratic spread.
"It was a very dangerous, very precarious situation out there. So, it became really clear to me that we needed to evacuate the people at the resort, and need to protect those structures around it," Watson said.
Watson made the call. Within minutes, Sevier County Emergency Management Agency, Pigeon Forge Police Department, the Sevier County Sheriff's Office and the Sevier County Fire Department were dispatched.
Sevier County issued an alert on Code Red, the county's emergency notification system. It calls residents nearby the affected area and encourages them to evacuate.
"Code red is a great way to get that message out there and make people pay attention to the potential danger," Watson said.
First responders evacuated the vacationers from the Parkside Resort, as well.
Once evacuated, those people were able to take shelter. That is a part of the communication strategy, as well. EMA is able to request temporary shelter locations be set up at some locations. The Pigeon Forge Community Center is one of those locations.
The manager of the Community Center, Jacob Cave, said they welcomed the evacuees with open doors.
"We are all about the community, for anything that happens. Whether it's natural disasters, fires, or floods — we're always willing to open up our doors. We're a part of that emergency action plan for Sevier County," he said.
When EMA called, the Center called in staff, opened a space and brought in food and drinks. Cave said around 20 people came.
With all the locals and vacationers safe and accounted for, first-responders were able to tackle the fire with more boots on the ground.
Charles Powers was one of the people fighting those flames.
"It took us a little while, in the beginning, to figure out exactly where the fire was. We could see the smoke, but just trying to get to it, since it was off the main road was a little hectic," Powers said.
The fire burned a little more than 25 acres across the mountainside.
As of Friday night, a few hot, smoky spots persisted. However, Fire personnel said they should go out within a few hours.
If you live in Sevier County and are not signed up for CodeRed, information can be found here.