Extraordinary Smokies wildfire moved fast on path to city

GATLINBURG, Tennessee (AP) — The wildfire that popped up on a steep, rugged peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was just one of a dozen that fire crews had been fighting over the last month because of the drought.

[...] the Nov. 23 fire on Chimney Tops proved to be extraordinary — it jumped containment lines and hopped from ridge to ridge on a path to the resort city of Gatlinburg, killing 13 people along the way.

In a first look at the origins of the fire, park officials explained to The Associated Press on Thursday how nothing was going to stop this voracious beast from spreading over 16,000 acres in just 24 hours.

The park buzzed with the sound of chain saws as crews from all over the country removed fallen trees and debris.

For several days, the fire worked its way through the thick layer of leaves on the forest floor and helicopters dumped water on it to slow its spread.