Scars and Healing
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (69345)
United States
April 4, 2017 10:58am CST
First up -- no, that's not "Scar," the king of myLot. 
I love the Smoky Mountains. When I need a break, I go there. When I don't need a break, I go there. I'm there right now.
The fire that hit the national park and the nearby town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee last November killed 14 people and destroyed property and the natural habitats in and near the park.
Here it is, just over four months later, and spring is in the air. The trees are budding, the birds are singing...and, I'm very happy to report, the tourists are all over the place, enjoying spring break.
The scars are impossible to miss. You drive along and suddenly there's a field of blackened trees and equally black ground. The Chimney Tops trail is closed (that's where the fire -- ruled arson -- started).
But there's also the obvious signs of healing. Even trees with scorch marks on their trunks have green buds sprouting. The ground has lucious green grass popping up. Amazingly, it's in the same picture frame!
How the fire moved is a mystery to me. The lady at the Gatlinburg welcome center (their sign on the road was destroyed by the fire, depicted by a photo of an American flag hanging over the charred sign) said their trash cans burned...but the building was not touched. As I said, there's a quarter of a mile of nothing but burned trees on one side of the road, and a completely untouched forest on the other side.
Things will never be the same. After all, fourteen families are dealing with death, and many others lost memories that can be rebuilt but not replaced. It is comforting, however, to know that God's beauty renews itself. More comforting is the fact that the people who prayed and offered to help this tourist town last November are here, helping the best way they can: by their presence.
I love the Smoky Mountains. When I need a break, I go there. When I don't need a break, I go there. I'm there right now.
The fire that hit the national park and the nearby town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee last November killed 14 people and destroyed property and the natural habitats in and near the park.
Here it is, just over four months later, and spring is in the air. The trees are budding, the birds are singing...and, I'm very happy to report, the tourists are all over the place, enjoying spring break.
The scars are impossible to miss. You drive along and suddenly there's a field of blackened trees and equally black ground. The Chimney Tops trail is closed (that's where the fire -- ruled arson -- started).
But there's also the obvious signs of healing. Even trees with scorch marks on their trunks have green buds sprouting. The ground has lucious green grass popping up. Amazingly, it's in the same picture frame!
How the fire moved is a mystery to me. The lady at the Gatlinburg welcome center (their sign on the road was destroyed by the fire, depicted by a photo of an American flag hanging over the charred sign) said their trash cans burned...but the building was not touched. As I said, there's a quarter of a mile of nothing but burned trees on one side of the road, and a completely untouched forest on the other side.
Things will never be the same. After all, fourteen families are dealing with death, and many others lost memories that can be rebuilt but not replaced. It is comforting, however, to know that God's beauty renews itself. More comforting is the fact that the people who prayed and offered to help this tourist town last November are here, helping the best way they can: by their presence.25 people like this
21 responses
@FourWalls (69345)
• United States
6 Apr 17
@JudyEv -- I'm sure the kids (yes, they were teenagers) who started the fire never intended to kill 14 people or burn down a part of a major tourist destination. But that doesn't change the fact that 14 people did die and a part of a major tourist destination was destroyed.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (161080)
• United States
5 Apr 17
The perspectives on disasters are very amazing. How and why things happen are confusing. And why on earth anyone would want to deliberately set a fire is beyond me.
4 people like this
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
5 Apr 17
Yes, it is a shame what happened there that someone would do some damage like that. But the newness of life as in Buds on the trees, means a newness of life, and everything has not been forsaken.
4 people like this
@rebelann (113040)
• El Paso, Texas
5 Apr 17
I hate fires, every year there are so many fires in regions like CA or CO or NM or SWTX. I've been lucky so far that none have threatened my home but when there was one in Deming NM it was too close for comfort, it even threatened to get to the Las Cruces borders. Fires are scary and almost always someone suffers loss of family or property and of course the countless wildlife that perishes is tragic.
I'm glad that your favorite spot is healing and hopefully you won't have to deal with anymore fires.
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
5 Apr 17
We lived in Sevier county for a few years and we to Sevierville/PF/G'burg to play tourist. We have good friends who live in G'burg who could see the flames that day. They are in a 'tourist' industry and it's good the tourists are back, unfortunately, many rentals no longer exist. I made reservations for late summer back two months ago due to shortage. we love to visit, but can't wait to leave the traffic behind and head back to the country.
4 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Apr 17
Did you stop by Dollywood?
3 people like this
@FourWalls (69345)
• United States
4 Apr 17
I don't think it's open yet. Can't miss the mountains, though....
3 people like this
I am glad that nature is starting to recover somewhat as well as the people. I have never been there but would love to go.
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
5 Apr 17
There is no undoing the effects of these kinds of disasters and the losses people have suffered. However, it's amazing how nature will not let the ground stay bare and black for long. It was in the paper last night that they found out how our terrible Chimney Fire last August started. It was caused by a vehicle that ignited dry grasses adjacent to a dirt road. The fire lasted 25 days, burned over 46,000 acres, destroyed 49 homes, and threatened Hearst Castle. It took almost four thousand firefighters to battle it and 310 engines and other supporting equipment. We need to be careful in fire season.
2 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (37396)
• Toccoa, Georgia
5 Apr 17
It was so sad what happened there. We have vacationed there many times, glad to know it is healing.
3 people like this
@1creekgirl (41812)
• United States
5 Apr 17
What a beautifully written post! Thank you.
2 people like this
@chrissbergstrom (10767)
• Banks, Oregon
5 Apr 17
So sad so many dealing with such trauma
2 people like this
@lookatdesktop (27134)
• Dallas, Texas
6 Apr 17
Nice piece of work. I read your post to my wife and she felt for those people. I really liked that there is regrowth in spite of the terrible fire.
1 person likes this
@msiduri (5687)
• United States
5 Apr 17
Yes, it's nice to see nature come back. Peoples' lives are a little harder to rebuild, though. And the person/people who started the fire just don't seem to get that. It seems to happen every year or two here. On wild fire in New Mexico (?) was started by a fireman so they'd get more overtime.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Apr 17
I was in the Smoky Mountains the end of February and yes the areas of burn are still to be seen. But nature will recover but sadly those families will not.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
4 Apr 17
We went through the same thing a few years ago after Waldo Canyon. It was nice to see the tourists back after the fire and resulting flooding.
2 people like this
