Poor preparation by park crews and a massive failure of imagination allowed the November wildfire that began in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to grow, pick up speed and sweep through Gatlinburg and surrounding parts of Sevier County, leaving death and destruction in its wake, according to a federal review released Thursday.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Knoxville News Sentinel

Cuts in the Fire Department budget have resulted in layoffs for the town's 18 per-diem firefighters who will lose their jobs at the end of September. Town Manager Vic Hodgkins in an Aug. 30 letter to each per-diem firefighter, wrote that the layoffs were the result of voters' decision at the June 17 town meeting to cut the Fire Department budget by $145,629.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sun Journal

Firefighters had to swim to a fire hydrant while rescuing a family from a burning home. In a Washington Post video, a crew from the Houston Fire Department responded to a fully-involved house fire in a flooded neighborhood. The house was surrounded by three feet of water, according Senior Fire Captain Jay Dillon.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1

There is new fallout from the fierce debate over Cleveland Browns players kneeling during the national anthem. Cleveland safety forces have backed out of a plan to hold a large flag on the field for the opening game. A dozen Browns players created a firestorm during a recent preseason game by not standing during the anthem.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJW-TV MyFox Cleveland

A semitrailer carrying about 6,800 gallons of hot asphalt rolled over and crashed on Everson Goshen Road early Thursday, spilling about two-thirds of its load and closing the busy highway in both directions near Everson Elementary School, authorities said. Impact of the crash tore the truck’s cab apart, shearing its roof as it came to rest on the driver’s side door.
- PUB DATE: 9/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: bellinghamherald.com