Editing Gatlinburg, Tennessee (section)

===Fire of 2016===
{{Main|2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires}}
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Starting in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at [[Chimney Tops]] in November 2016, a moderately contained wildfire was compounded by very strong winds – with gusts recorded up to {{Convert|87|mph|km/h}} – and extremely dry conditions due to drought, causing it to spread down into Gatlinburg, [[Pigeon Forge, Tennessee|Pigeon Forge]], [[Pittman Center, Tennessee|Pittman Center]], and other nearby areas.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2016/11/29/30-gatlinburg-structures-fire-tema/94584554/ |title=14,000 evacuated from Gatlinburg; fires still burning |last1=Vellucci|first1=Amy J.|last2=Satterfield|first2=Jamie|date=November 29, 2016 |website=knoxnews.com|access-date=November 29, 2016}}</ref> It forced mass evacuations, and Governor [[Bill Haslam]] ordered the National Guard to the area. The center of Gatlinburg's tourist district escaped heavy damage, but the surrounding wooded region was called "the apocalypse" by a fire department lieutenant.<ref>Amy Vellucci and Jamie Satterfield, "[http://www.wfaa.com/news/nation/tennessee-wildfires-its-the-apocalypse-on-both-sides-of-downtown/357757567 Tennessee Wildfires: 'It's the Apocalypse on Both Sides (of Downtown)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202042839/http://www.wfaa.com/news/nation/tennessee-wildfires-its-the-apocalypse-on-both-sides-of-downtown/357757567 |date=February 2, 2017 }},'" WFAA.com, November 29, 2016.</ref> Approximately 14,000 people were evacuated that evening, more than 2,400 structures were damaged or destroyed, and damages totaled more than $500 million. Fourteen people died in the fires, including local citizens and visiting tourists.

Following the fires, the town of Gatlinburg was shut down and considered a crime scene. The city reopened to residents only after a few days but maintained a strict curfew for more than a week, only reopening to the public after the curfew was lifted.<ref>"[http://wreg.com/2016/12/13/500m-in-damages-expected-due-to-gatlinburg-fires/ $500M in Damages Expected Due to Gatlinburg Fires]," ''News Channel 3'', December 13, 2016.</ref> In June 2017, the Sevier County district attorney dropped charges against two juveniles accused of starting the fire due to an inability to prove their actions led to the devastation that occurred in Gatlinburg five days later.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://fox2now.com/2017/06/30/arson-charges-dropped-against-teens-in-gatlinburg-wildfire/|title=Arson charges dropped against teens in Gatlinburg wildfire|website=Fox 2 Now St. Louis|date=June 30, 2017|access-date=June 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/gatlinburg/2017/06/30/attorney-arson-charges-against-teens-fatal-gatlinburg-wildfire-dropped/442706001/|title=Arson charges against teens in fatal Gatlinburg wildfire dropped|website=Knox News|access-date=June 16, 2018}}</ref>

In May 2018, two Gatlinburg residents filed a $14.8 million lawsuit against the federal government for personal losses suffered in the fire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/million-lawsuit-filed-in-deadly-gatlinburg-wildfires/article_dd5ab935-e43f-5b0f-8b1b-e87b68a1b304.html|title=$14.8 million lawsuit filed in deadly Gatlinburg wildfires|website=The Daily Times|date=May 25, 2018 |access-date=June 16, 2018}}</ref>