Fire Adapted Sevier

Help needed! We are looking for good quality pictures from the 2016 Gatlinburg Fires and the Hatcher Mountain Fire in 2022 for the Sevier County CWPP. If you or someone you know has a great shot, and would be willing to let us use the picture in the document, please let us know. Thanks very much!

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Whatcha gonna do? Connect to your Bluetooth speakers and turn up the volume! Original score by Danielle Belli, vocals by Shaynari, written and produced by Ralph Bloemers, footage Connor Nelson… | Ralph Bloemers Whatcha gonna do? Connect to your Bluetooth speakers and turn up the volume! Original score by Danielle Belli, vocals by Shaynari, written and produced by Ralph Bloemers, footage Connor Nelson, Robert Garcia, Pasadena Fire, Tanner Schaaf

How science informs Wildfire Safety: https://ibhs.org/wildfire/wildland-fire-embers-and-flames-home-mitigations-that-matter/

Fire Danger Update: 11/17/2025 8:00 AM

HIGH Fire Danger: Public Urged to Refrain from Burning

All residents and visitors are asked to refrain from burning debris as the Tennessee Division of Forestry has issued a HIGH fire danger for the area today (11/17/25).

Important Information:

-No burn permits will be issued in Sevier County today. Residents in cities within Sevier County should contact their local fire department for burn permit information.
-Refrain from burning debris today. Low humidity and increased winds can cause fires to spread rapidly, even under controlled conditions.

All residents and visitors are encouraged to stay informed and monitor local emergency messaging.

For additional information, visit the Tennessee State Forestry website: https://shorturl.at/mpIn1

Thank you to everyone who attended last night’s SC CWPP public meeting! Your feedback moves Sevier County one step closer to becoming a fire-adapted community. If you missed it, there’s one more opportunity to participate next week! If you can't make it, good news. You can still join in by ranking action items here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5P7JLJN

Join us for the Sevier County CWPP Public Meetings! We're meeting on November 13th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the American Legion Building, Post 202 in Gatlinburg, and again on November 20th at the Sevierville Civic Center during the same time. We look forward to seeing you there and working together to create a Fire Adapted Sevier!

Don’t forget – Join Us for a special Firewise Draft Action Item Review

Just a quick reminder that our Sevier County CWPP Firewise Meeting is happening on November 6th at 1 PM at Sevier County Fire & Rescue Station 1. Review current draft action items and discuss programs that will create a more Fire Adapted Sevier.
Don’t Forget – Join Us for the CWPP [Event Name]!

Last week during the 2025 Fire Loss Symposium, Mike Jensen helped present Mitigation 101 along with Michaele Bloodsworth for CO-CO and the Tennessee Division of Forestry.

Mike addressed his cancer: He spoke about having Multiple Myeloma for which there is no cure. He explained how firefighting is a Group I carcinogen and the cancer is directly related to his wildland firefighting.

This should hit home for all firefighters in Sevier County as many of us worked the 2016 Gatlinburg Fires. We never had any of the medical blood tests like the firefighters who worked the L.A. fires were able to get. I hear results are startling. See L.A. Firefighters Who Fought Blazes Show Elevated Mercury and Lead Levels - The New York Times https://share.google/BxEllbYTZCeuGDL1w

Mike and his wife Connie are traveling to Houston for advanced treatment. It is hard to describe their courage and poise as they fight together. My prayer is that the treatment is successful. We need you Mike. ❤️

It is interesting to see the correlation between changes in the landscape and increased wildfire risk. Personally, I suspect land use changes and local population increases are a major factor. The east is becoming the next wildfire battleground without large scale planning and mitigation.

Woody Cover Fuels Large Wildfire Risk in the Eastern U.S. - Oak Fire Science Ivey et al. 2024 (Geophysical Research Letters) RESEARCH BRIEF #53 A summary based on the following publication: Ivey, M. A., C.L. Wonkka, N.C. We...

The Sevier County CWPP watched this video from the Living With Fire Series created by Fire Safe Marin: Busting Myths Around Defensible Space. If you do any work with wildfire mitigation, it is definately worth a look!

Fire Chief Debunks Defensible Space Myth In this presentation Todd Lando, Battalion Chief and Wildfire Hazard Mitigation Specialist, discusses defensible space, applicable fire codes and ordinances ...

The Sevier County CWPP steering committee met Thursday at the Sevierville Fire Department. The members discussed the results of the Safe and Effective survey and SWOT analsis, and started creating action items for the SC CWPP. Thanks to everyone who attended!