By Robert Wilson
The News Sentinel
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — While firefighting efforts at a Sevier County condominium complex came to a close Wednesday, residents lucky enough to escape the inferno still were not being allowed to go home, officials said.
Bob Stahlke, spokesman for the city of Sevierville, said that though the battle was being “deescalated” near the ruins of four 12- unit condo buildings that burned to the ground Tuesday, the English Mountain Volunteer Fire Department determined that those living in the remaining six building would have to pass too close to smoldering, smoking debris to be allowed to resume habitation there.
He said they would be allowed into their condos to retrieve essentials, while escorted by fire officials, but cannot yet move back in. About seven people are permanent residents of the remaining condos, he said, most of which are rental units.
Until they can return, Stahlke said, the American Red Cross is helping them find housing.
No cause for Tuesday’s wind-whipped blaze has been determined.
On Wednesday, a forest fire ignited by blowing embers from the condo fire continued at the top and down the opposite side of the mountain in areas virtually inaccessible to vehicles and firefighters.
Heavy smoke billowed in the sky as a military helicopter ferried buckets of water to flaming areas. The area ablaze is heavily forested and situated near the Sevier-Cocke county line.
Stahlke said firefighters had determined that the threat from wind and low humidity had abated enough for a large amount of fire equipment to leave the condo scene.
Dozens of units from multiple firefighting agencies, volunteer and municipal, responded Tuesday after the fire broke out about 7 a.m., and it was quickly determined that the first units would not be able to battle the inferno alone.
By Tuesday afternoon, the four buildings initially involved were reduced to smoldering rubble, and woodland areas on the mountainside across from the complex and even over the top of the ridge were alight.
Personnel from the state’s Division of Forestry used bulldozers to cut fire breaks through woods to contain the blaze.
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