Wears Valley and Seymour wildfires both out; Sevier Co. asks strictly for monetary donations to help victims

SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — According to the Tennessee Division of Forestry, the Hatcher Mountain wildfire in Wears Valley and the Dupont/Millstone Gap wildfire in Seymour are both out as of Friday morning after crews fully contained them.

219 structures were affected by the Hatcher Mountain fire, Sevier County officials said. Originally that number was believed to be near 300, but the county said some structures were erroneously counted more than once. The Tennessee Division of Forestry said the fire burned in an area of 2,498 acres.

Sevier County officials said all affected areas of the Hatcher Mountain fire are now open.

Owners can visit the link to view the initial status of their properties within the affected areas.

A no-fly zone restriction has been lifted for the public, including drones, for Wears Valley and Chilhowee Mountain, which ran through April 7.

Bruce Miller, the incident commander with the Tennessee Division of Forestry, noted that the changes in total acres burned from earlier reports are due to a more accurate mapping of the fire.

Spanish Version: Incendio forestal en Wears Valley un 95% contenido; Incendio en Seymour un 60% contenido

Miller said crews worked through the week to extinguish all remaining hotspots and any active fires along their control lines.

The Seymour fire burned 959 acres, affecting one structure in Blount County and another in Sevier County. All roads in the area are now open.

Miller warned that smoke would be visible from the Dupont fire in the coming days due to mop-up and control efforts that would be carried out by crews in that area. Crews conducted backfiring operations to clear fuel ahead of the wildfire on steep terrain. He said those efforts helped assist with the containment of the fire.

No one died in the fires. One contractor, Bradley Slone Jr., suffered injuries the day the Wears Valley fire began as he worked excavation on a home. His wife said he was sent to Vanderbilt Medical Center with pain and swelling from burn wounds, but as of Wednesday night was back home and “healing fast.”

Two firefighters were treated on the scene for minor injuries while fighting the fire.

Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters also extended his thanks to multiple agencies from the state and local levels who are assisting with the containment of the wildfires. He also thanked the different organizations that have helped with donations and efforts to feed and shelter evacuees and firefighters.

RELATED: More than 400 emergency agencies from across Tennessee work together to protect buildings from Sevier Co. wildfires

Waters attributes the lives saved and property protected in part to the lessons learned from the 2016 wildfires. He said that changes made to evacuation plans and the cell towers not being directly impacted by the fires helped with communication efforts.

Waters said he hopes to have survey crews assess the damage in the coming days.

All evacuation notices have expired and all roads have been reopened except for Cold Springs Hollow Road.

Waters said the shelter at Seymour Heights Christian Church is closed. The Pigeon Forge Community Center at 170 Community Center Drive remains open. 

Sevier County has added road closures to its evacuation map, which can be found at this link.

Sevier County officials are now asking strictly for monetary donations to help those affected by the wildfires after receiving an “overwhelming” amount of physical support from people in the way of food and water donations. People donated so much that the county has reached its limit on physical donations.

If you’d like to donate money, you can do so through MountainTough.org.

RELATED: How to help those affected by the Sevier County wildfires in Wears Valley and Seymour