Authorities in Tennessee announced Tuesday that at least three people have died in wildfires that are raging around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
In the resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, dozens of homes and buildings have burned down, and thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate. At the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, there is some damage to cabins, but the park is not burning. "This is a fire for the history books," Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said. "The likes of this has never been seen here."
At least 14 people have been hospitalized, including three with severe burns, and firefighters are preparing for high winds and lightning overnight. Gov. Bill Haslam (R) is calling the fire the "largest in the last 100 years in the state of Tennessee.
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