forest fires Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Selected for space launch, Robertsville satellite gets boost from ORNL

Posted at 7:32 pm March 10, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is the first middle school to ever be selected for a NASA program that launches small cube-shaped satellites into space. On Friday, March 9, 2018, the $70,000 science project got a $15,000 boost from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Celebrating above by saying “NASA, we are a go!” are RMS students, teacher Todd Livesay, ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia, Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, and other Oak Ridge Schools staff and project volunteers. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m. March 11.

Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge is the first middle school to ever be selected for a NASA program that launches small cube-shaped satellites into space.

On Friday, the $70,000 science project, which started about three years ago, got a $15,000 boost from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Robertsville satellite, which will orbit a few hundred miles above Earth, will use a small camera to try to take pictures of forest regrowth in the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg. That area burned in forest fires fed by high winds after Thanksgiving 2016, killing 14 people and damaging or destroying more than 2,500 homes and businesses.

The RMS satellite, named RamSat, will use a radio to relay its images and other data back to Earth.

A project proposal was submitted to NASA in November, and Oak Ridge Schools learned this month that the RMS proposal had been accepted.

“This is such an exciting opportunity for the students!” said Peter Thornton, one of the RamSat team leaders from ORNL. “They will now have the chance to design, build, carry out, and own a satellite mission.” [Read more…]

Gatlinburg fires: Andersonville fire chief describes elevator rescue, driving through ‘gates of hell’

Posted at 12:50 pm December 26, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

burrell-andersonville-fire-department-westgate-lodging-gatlinburg-nov-28-2016

The Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department helped rescue two people trapped in an elevator in a burning building at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, pictured above, in Gatlinburg during the wildfires on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. (Photo via Roane State Community College)

Editor’s note: Many fire departments and emergency workers responded to help fight the wildfires and perform search and rescue during the deadly forest fires that burned areas around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge on Monday, November 28. Here are stories from two Anderson County rescuers who responded to the Gatlinburg fires, as reported by Roane State Community College.

‘We made our way through what looked like the gates of hell’

By Matthew R. Burrell

On the night of Monday, November 28, various Anderson County fire departments were asked to respond on mutual aid calls to the City of Gatlinburg. Of those departments, Andersonville responded with a crew of three and one pumper.

Once we arrived at the meeting point, we were sent to Pittman Center for staging. On our way to our assigned location, there were many thoughts of the unknown. We were bouncing several scenarios off of each other—from “what are we going to do to pass time if all we do is sit in the parking lot,” to how crazy it could possibly be and what we might encounter.

When we first responded, I made contact with the Gatlinburg Fire Department chief, and the intensity in his voice told me that it was bad. But once we hit the spur, we realized just how bad it was. We made our way through what looked like the gates of hell and then entered the city. There was a constant orange glow everywhere you looked. We were amazed at the devastation and at how many buildings were on fire. [Read more…]

Watch: Linden students sing, raise money, collect gifts for Gatlinburg elementary

Posted at 12:01 am December 18, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

linden-elementary-school-choir-benefit-for-pi-beta-phi-elementary-school-dec-14-2016

The Linden Elementary School Choir performs a benefit concert to raise money for Pi Beta Phi Elementary School in Gatlinburg, where families lost everything in the recent Sevier County forest fires, on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016. (Photo by Heather Jenkins)

Students at Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge sang, raised money, and collected gifts for Pi Peta Phi Elementary School in Gatlinburg.

Pi Beta Phi has almost 100 families that lost everything in the forest fires in Sevier County on November 28, officials said. The fires burned more than 17,000 acres, damaged or destroyed more than 2,400 buildings, killed 14 people, and injured many more.

Although Pi Beta Phi still stands, two students at the school, sixth-grader Chloe Reed, who was 12, and her sister Lily Reed, a nine-year-old fourth-grader, died in the fire. As of December 6, 95 of the school’s roughly 570 students were homeless. Five staff members also lost their homes.

In Oak Ridge, Linden’s third- and fourth-grade choir presented their Christmas Concert, a benefit for Pi Beta Phi, at Linden Elementary School on Wednesday, December 14. It was part of the Linden Kids Helping Kids initiative. [Read more…]

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department K-9s help with Gatlinburg search

Posted at 12:48 pm December 6, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department K-9s helped search Gatlinburg after forest fires fed by hurricane-force winds raged through that tourist town and areas around the Chimney Tops trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Wears Valley, and Pigeon Forge on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, burning 17,000 acres, killing 14 people, and damaging or destroying more than 1,700 structures. Pictured above is Deputy Candy Stooksbury and her K-9 partner Barnabas. (Photo by ACSD)

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Candy Stooksbury and her K-9 partner Barnabas, a specially trained bloodhound, have helped in the search efforts in Gatlinburg after forest fires fed by hurricane-force winds raged through the tourist town last week. Corporal Rick Coley and K-9 Justus, and Deputy Matt Forsyth and K-9 BamBam, have also helped.

The deputies and K-9s helped the Knoxville Police Search And Rescue Team and the Tennessee Highway Patrol in the search, rescue, and recovery mission, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said Tuesday.

Other local agencies also responded to the fires, including Anderson County EMS and fire departments in Anderson County. (See this previous story for more information.) The Oak Ridge Fire Department helped rescue 12 people trapped in cars surrounded by fires near the Dollywood theme park near Pigeon Forge. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge volunteer collecting supplies for firefighters

Posted at 10:43 am November 25, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

tom-giles-firefighters-supplies-nov-19-2016

Oak Ridge resident Tom Giles collects supplies for firefighters at High Places Community Church on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

An Oak Ridge volunteer is collecting supplies for firefighters as they battle forest fires across East Tennessee.

Tom Giles set up three days in the past week at High Places Community Church in Grove Center. He has more donation dates scheduled at the church from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, December 3, and Saturday, December 10.

Here are the items needed: water, Gatorade, small packs of peanut butter crackers and cheese crackers, energy bars, beef jerky, etc. Last Saturday, he said the items should not melt. For example, a chocolate snack could melt in a firefighter’s pocket.

On Friday, November 25, Giles said Oliver Springs Fire Department is providing support to fires burning near Petros, north of Oliver Springs.

“If supplies are depleted, we may need to mobilize a donation date before our December 3 event,” Giles said. “I am in contact with officers from OSFD and will provide updates as needed. Thank you for support.” [Read more…]

Air quality forecast for Wednesday: Unhealthy

Posted at 1:05 pm November 16, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The air quality forecast on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, is unhealthy for East Tennessee, including the Knoxville area, as forest fires continue to burn in the Southeast, including in East Tennessee. Yellow is moderate, orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and red is unhealthy. (Image courtesy AirNow.gov)

The air quality forecast on Wednesday is unhealthy for East Tennessee, including the Knoxville area, as forest fires continue to burn in the Southeast, including in East Tennessee.

The air quality conditions in the Knoxville area at about noon Wednesday were moderate, according to AirNow.gov.

The National Weather Service in Morristown said the unhealthy air quality conditions will continue across must of the area into today. People with lung disease such as asthma and children and older adults should avoid prolonged outdoor exposure to the smoke, the Weather Service said.

“Everyone should limit prolonged outdoor exertion,” the NWS said. [Read more…]

Readers ask: Is it okay to grill during burn ban?

Posted at 10:08 pm November 15, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

anderson-county-fires-smoke-oliver-springs-nov-10-2016-web

More than 4,000 acres have burned this month in six fires in rugged, forested parts of north Anderson County, state officials said. Smoke hangs high in the air above the mountains north of Oliver Springs on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A few readers have had questions about whether it is okay to cook on a grill while the burn ban is in effect. There has been some confusion because various burn bans have been announced, and they often haven’t included information about grilling.

One burn ban announced Monday by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam bans burning in 51 counties because of the ongoing drought and continuing forest fires. The burn ban includes all eastern Tennessee counties, including Anderson, Campbell, Loudon, Knox, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union. Residents in those counties are not permitted to conduct any open-air burning. The ban includes campfires and burning of brush, vegetation, household waste, or construction debris. The ban will remain in effect until December 15. [Read more…]