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Fisher: Quest for Gatlinburg records reflects poorly on state transparency

Fire damage to the Laurel Point Resort in Gatlinburg, Tenn., is seen on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Gatlinburg reopened to the public for the first time since fatal wildfires spread to the city on Nov. 28. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)
Fire damage to the Laurel Point Resort in Gatlinburg, Tenn., is seen on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Gatlinburg reopened to the public for the first time since fatal wildfires spread to the city on Nov. 28. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig) Fire damage to the Laurel Point Resort in Gatlinburg, Tenn., is seen on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Gatlinburg reopened to the public for the first time since fatal wildfires spread to the city on Nov. 28. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

By Deborah Fisher 5 min read

The November 2016 Gatlinburg fire killed 14 people and cost millions of dollars in damages. It was one of Tennessee’s worst disasters.

Last Friday, prosecutors dropped charges against two juveniles who had been accused of starting the fires days earlier up in the mountains.

The state had used the ongoing arson prosecution as a reason for not releasing public records related to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency’s response to the fire.

photo Deborah Fisher

With the juveniles out of the spotlight, it is well past time to start considering how the state and local government officials handled the fire, especially the decision not to evacuate citizens until the fire already had swept into residential areas.

Some who lived through last-minute escapes have told news reporters that they had called 911 and were instructed that it was safe to stay put.