2 juveniles accused of arson in Tenn. fires that killed 14

Tennessee residents could be tried as adults, may face more charges.

NASHVILLE, TENN. — Two juveniles have been charged with aggravated arson in connection with the East Tennessee wildfires that killed 14 people last week and left nearly 150 others injured, authorities said Wednesday.

During an investigation involving local, state and federal agents, “information was developed that two juveniles allegedly started the fire,” the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.

Both were taken into custody Wednesday morning and were being held at the Sevier County Juvenile Detention Center.

The suspects are Tennessee residents, District Attorney General Jimmy B. Dunn said at a news conference in Sevierville. No additional information about

the youths was made available, including their age and gender.

“I understand that you have a lot of questions,” Dunn told reporters. “However, the law does not allow for the disclosure of additional information at this time.”

He added that additional charges “are being considered” and that the juveniles could be tried as adults.

Karyssa Dalton, 19, whose grandmother is still missing in the fire, said it was appropriate to hold the juveniles accountable for their alleged actions, regardless of their age.

“I mean, what if somebody came through their town, and set their town on fire, and lost their loved ones, and lost all their homes?” said Dalton. “It’s not fair.”

Katerina Mills, a 45-yearold who has been staying in a shelter, said that though the suspected offenders are juveniles, she doesn’t feel sympathy for them or think that officials should tread more lightly with the case.

“Age shouldn’t matter on something like this,” Mills said. “There were so many lives lost in this fire, due to this fire, and due to them being inconsiderate. There were so many lives lost. Animals’ lives lost. Humans’ lives lost. And the beautiful place that we lived in.”

The fire was first reported Nov. 23 in the Chimney Tops area pf the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, according to the National Park Service. The wildfire exploded on Nov. 28, as massive walls of flames spread down the mountains into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge with shocking speed, according to those who fled with little more than the clothes on their backs.

The fires engulfed the two tourist towns at the park’s northern gateway and shut down one of the country’s most popular natural attractions left more than 1,750 structures damaged or destroyed, most of them single-family residences. Additionally, thousands of wooded acres burned in the most-visited national park in the United States.

Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller called the devastation “unfathomable.”

Park Chief Ranger Steve Kloster said the public was “critical” in offering investigators information through a tip line set up a tip line for people to call if they hiked the Chimney Tops trail on Nov. 23, the day the fire started, or knew anyone who had.

Although wind gusts exceeding 60 mph fueled the blaze, fires had been brewing for months in the droughtstricken region. More than 150,000 acres have been charred in the Southeast by large fires, according to the U.S. Forest Service, and nearly 4,000 firefighters have been called into action to fight the blazes.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has called the Smokies fire the state’s worst in at least a century.

“To the residents of Sevier County: We stand with you and are committed to making sure justice is served in this case,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn said at the news conference Wednesday.

He added: “Our promise is that we will do every effort to help bring closure to those who have lost so much.”

Despite two days of heavy rains earlier this week, there are nearly 800 firefighters still battling the fires on the mountains. The fire is about 64 percent contained, authorities said Wednesday, and parts of the park remain closed.

But downtown Gatlinburg was spared, and property owners, business owners, renters and lease holders were allowed to return full-time on Wednesday. The tourist destination is expected to reopen for business on Friday.

PHOTOS BY ANDREW NELLES / AP Allan Rivera holds onto his son Nathan Rivera, 23 months old, as he looks at the remains of their home for the first time Monday in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The family evacuated from their rental cabin before it was destroyed by a wildfire.

Destroyed homes near the downtown area of Gatlinburg, Tenn., are shown Monday. A week ago on Monday, fires killed 14 people and damaged or destroyed almost 1,700 buildings in the region.

JONATHAN MATTISE / ASSOCIATED PRESS Smoke continues to rise from the Alamo Steakhouse in Gatlinburg, Tenn., Monday after it burned during deadly wildfires. Many businesses were in cleanup mode in hopes of reopening to the public.