TENNESSEE

Gatlinburg welcomes visitors back after wildfire

Megan Boehnke
megan.boehnke@knoxnews.com

GATLINBURG — It still was dark and Christmas decor lit the main corridor Friday as a steady stream of cars began trickling into Gatlinburg shortly after 7 a.m., when the town opened to the public for the first time since wildfires devastated the area two weeks ago.

Visitors, delivery trucks and employees headed to work began to slowly fill up the streets of the small tourist town in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, greeted by digital signs that read: "Mountain Tough. Welcome Back."

Cars driving into Gatlinburg are greeted with a "Mountain Tough" sign Dec. 9, 2016. Gatlinburg re-opened to the public today after wildfires damaged the city early last week.

Within half an hour, the dining room at the Pancake Pantry, a local downtown landmark that typically has lines out the door, was about 40 percent full. Workers at Kilwins, a chocolate, fudge and ice cream shop, were painting the ceiling and cleaning the shop, preparing to open Friday afternoon.

At The Donut Friar, the owner's son stayed at the shop overnight to avoid the curfew and begin preparing the day's pastries at 1:30 a.m.

"We were staying in Pigeon Forge and we wanted to come in, and we ate at the Pancake Pantry," said Jerry Johnson, just before 8 a.m. He arrived with his wife, Sue Lynn, on Wednesday from Kingston.

"I've been coming here my whole life and I have never seen it this quiet," he said.

Tourists watch taffy being made at the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen as downtown Gatlinburg, Tenn. reopens to the public, Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Over 2,000 structures were destroyed in the area and 14 people killed after wildfires went through the area on Nov. 28.

But as the morning wore on, visitors began clogging the sidewalks and the typical stop-and-go traffic through town resumed.

"We were seeing everything on the news and wanted to come down here and see Gatlinburg, support the businesses and put our eyes on the mountains again," said Steve Odom, who was with his wife, Donna, visiting the Sugarlands Visitor Center, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park also opened for the first time Friday, though some trails near the wildfire remained closed.

The main business corridor downtown was largely spared from the fires that blew into town from the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Nov. 28, killing 14 people, injuring another 176 and burning more than 2,400 buildings.

Tourists visit The Village as downtown Gatlinburg, Tenn. reopens to the public, Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Over 2,000 structures were destroyed in the area and 14 people killed after wildfires went through the area on Nov. 28th.

At Ripley's Aquarium, a steady flow of families came to gawk at the sharks, sea turtles and eels, far exceeding the visitor volume the attraction had expected, said General Manager Ryan DeSear.

"Everybody I've talked to (told me), 'We've come to support Gatlinburg,'" DeSear said. "I thought people would just come to see the damage, but these folks came down here to support the city."

The city began letting residents and business owners return to their properties earlier this week, allowing restaurants time to prepare for a Friday opening.

At Kilwins, the shop had to throw out all of the chocolates and fudges, weighing all of it to file an insurance claim, said Shana Laws, a supervisor.

Though the business didn't sustain any damage from the fire, the whole building smelled of smoke, she said. Employees came in to clean out all the shelving and furniture and repaint all the walls and ceiling.

Lauren Sims, 7, and her brother Ethan, 5, of Lake City, S.C. stand with their mother Christina looking over Gatlinburg from the space Needle Friday Dec. 9, 2016. Gatlinburg re-opened to the public today after wildfires damaged the city early last week.

"We threw everything away," she said. "We had to take everything off the shelves, throw it away and cleaned them all. It'll basically be a brand-new store, starting from scratch."

Inside the Pancake Pantry, servers chatted with guests about the yellow haze that sat over the restaurant last week and the damage the fire had done to their own homes and those of friends and family. One pair of guests from Ohio hugged their waitress before leaving.

The restaurant's owner, James Gerding, lost his home and vehicles, and one employee who had rented an apartment nearby lost all he owned, company President Garry Myers said. The kitchen manager helped the employee find another place to live, he said.

Despite the devastation, the restaurant pushed to open its doors as soon as the city allowed. Employees came in on Monday to clean out the kitchen and toss all the expired food. The building never lost power, so the freezers and refrigerators saved a lot of the food. They returned Thursday to begin prepping new food and early Friday morning to mix the pancake batters, he said.

The restaurant typically serves 800 customers a day this time of year, and Myers said he hoped to see the same level of business Friday.

Bill and Marian Broome of Knoxville are among the restaurant's most loyal customers. The couple owns a home in Mynatt Park, which was among the first communities evacuated Nov. 28.

"There were ember sparks all around, landing on the driveway and the roof," he said.

Their house was spared thanks to quick work by fire crews, who removed all the leaves and brush from around the building, he said.

The Broomes, who spend about four nights a week at their Gatlinburg home, eat at the Pantry twice a week. They returned at 7 a.m. sharp Friday to resume their routine.

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