Fires in eastern Tennessee force evacuations of resort towns

(Image credit: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

Several resort towns in Tennessee are under mandatory evacuation due to wildfires that are continuing to grow, the state's emergency management agency said Monday night.

Gatlinburg and portions of Pigeon Forge and other nearby communities are being threatened, and the fires have already burned 30 structures, ABC News reports; one person has been injured. Cabins at the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge have been evacuated, with guests being moved to another part of the resort; a representative for the resort said there are "fire crews in the park working with our team to protect structures." While the wildfire is approaching the edge of the property, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency announced it is not in the park itself.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.