It’s the first time Henry Fox, his wife, Casie, and their 5-year-old son are seeing the devastation left by the wildfires. The trio fled their Gatlinburg home just as the wildfires were nearing their neighborhood.
The family sent this newsroom photos of what they are seeing today. Some buildings were reduced to piles of rubble that are still smoking. Other homes and structures are gutted, with charred and blackened outer walls still standing.
EARLIER
A former Logan County family has been displaced from their Gatlinburg home because of wildfire.
Henry Fox, his wife and 5-year-old son moved to Tennessee from Bellefontaine about two months ago. It was Monday evening when they realized they needed to leave their Gatlinburg home, he said.
>>RELATED: Gatlinburg wildfires: 3 dead; over 14,000 evacuated
“It was like driving into hell,” Fox said. “It was the scariest moment of my life.”
The family is now staying at a hotel in Pigeon Forge, he said, but isn’t sure how long it will be before they can return to Gatlinburg.
The fire has destroyed more than 150 homes and businesses and displaced more than 14,000 people.
>>DETAILS: Wildfires in, near Gatlinburg leave Miami Valley residents devastated
It started Nov. 23 and is believed to have been the result of arson, according to Great Smoky Mountain National Park officials.
Three deaths have been reported because of the fire, the Associated Press reports.
About the Author