'Dollywood' theme park at risk as wildfires rage in southern US
AFP
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES- Wildfires raging across the US southeast bore down Tuesday on Dollywood, the glitzy theme park founded by country music legend Dolly Parton, who said she was "heartbroken" over damage to nearby homes and forestland.
Officials said dozens of fires are burning in the state, fanned by high winds and fueled by parched vegetation after weeks of drought.
Dollywood, located in the town of Pigeon Forge near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is one of several popular resort attractions in east Tennessee threatened by the fires.
A morning assessment revealed no damage to the park itself, although more than a dozen cabins managed by Dollywood were found to be damaged or destroyed, the resort said in a statement. It added that park operations would be suspended Wednesday.
"I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken. I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe," Parton, 70, said Tuesday.
"It is a blessing that my Dollywood theme park, (Dollywood's) DreamMore Resort and so many businesses in Pigeon Forge have been spared," she added.
Wind speeds topping 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour were reported in some parts of Tennessee, which has been hit by the worst drought in nearly a decade.
Parton's 295-acre (120-hectare) amusement resort is one of the region's most popular draws with rides and musical events that sometimes include appearances by Parton and her family.
Tennessee's Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for maintaining the state's forests, said Tuesday there are 47 active fires that so far have consumed nearly 15,000 acres.
Hundreds of firefighters, meanwhile, have descended in the town of Gatlinburg, a popular tourist resort and a gateway to the Smoky Mountains, to coordinate efforts to extinguish the fires.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency estimated that more than 14,000 residents and visitors had been evacuated from Gatlinburg alone.
Three people with severe burns and a fourth with burns to the face had been transferred to hospitals, although there were no reports of fatalities, it said.
More than 100 structures were damaged in the city, while more than 150 were damaged or destroyed in Sevier County, where Gatlinburg is located, according to officials cited by CNN.
Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller reported that 14 structure fires were still burning in the city although the worst was over, the broadcaster reported.
"The state is providing coordinated resources, including Nat'l Guard, to help Gatlinburg, all those affected by devastating fires," Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.
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A morning assessment revealed no damage to the park itself, although more than a dozen cabins managed by Dollywood were found to be damaged or destroyed, the resort said in a statement. It added that park operations would be suspended Wednesday.
"I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken. I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe," Parton, 70, said Tuesday.
"It is a blessing that my Dollywood theme park, (Dollywood's) DreamMore Resort and so many businesses in Pigeon Forge have been spared," she added.
Wind speeds topping 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour were reported in some parts of Tennessee, which has been hit by the worst drought in nearly a decade.
Parton's 295-acre (120-hectare) amusement resort is one of the region's most popular draws with rides and musical events that sometimes include appearances by Parton and her family.
Tennessee's Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for maintaining the state's forests, said Tuesday there are 47 active fires that so far have consumed nearly 15,000 acres.
Hundreds of firefighters, meanwhile, have descended in the town of Gatlinburg, a popular tourist resort and a gateway to the Smoky Mountains, to coordinate efforts to extinguish the fires.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency estimated that more than 14,000 residents and visitors had been evacuated from Gatlinburg alone.
Three people with severe burns and a fourth with burns to the face had been transferred to hospitals, although there were no reports of fatalities, it said.
More than 100 structures were damaged in the city, while more than 150 were damaged or destroyed in Sevier County, where Gatlinburg is located, according to officials cited by CNN.
Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller reported that 14 structure fires were still burning in the city although the worst was over, the broadcaster reported.
"The state is providing coordinated resources, including Nat'l Guard, to help Gatlinburg, all those affected by devastating fires," Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.
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