3 die as fires rage: ‘Hell opened up’

With flames dripping from tree branches like lava and the air filled with embers, thousands of people raced through a hell-like landscape as they fled from wildfires that killed three people and destroyed hundreds of homes and a resort in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Fanned by hurricaneforce winds, the flames reached the doorstep of Dollywood, the theme park named after country music legend and local hero Dolly Parton. But the attraction was spared any significant damage.

The fires spread quickly on Monday night, when winds topping 87 mph whipped up the flames, catching residents and tourists in the Gatlinburg area by surprise. Police banged on front doors and told people to get out immediately. Some evacuees trekked 20 minutes to catch lifesaving rides on trolleys usually reserved for tours and wedding parties.

“There was fire everywhere. It was like we were in hell,” said Linda Monholland, who was working at Park View Inn in Gatlinburg when she and five other people fled on foot. “Walking through hell, that’s what it was. I can’t believe it. I never want to see something like that again in my life, ever.”

“Hell opened up,” said a co-worker, Sissy Stinnett.

In all, more than 14,000 residents and tourists were forced to evacuate the tourist city in the mountains, where some hotspots persisted and a curfew was planned for Tuesday night.

No details on the deaths were immediately available. More than a dozen people were injured.