2016 wildfire season one for the books; officials say it's too soon to say it's over [video]

December 13, 2016 at 1:00 a.m. | Updated December 13, 2016 at 2:49 a.m.

by The Knoxville News Sentinel, Steve Ahillen

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, Dec. 5, 2016, in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The family evacuated from their rental cabin before it was completely destroyed by a wildfire. A week ago on Monday, hurricane-force winds whipped up fires that killed over a dozen people and damaged or destroyed over a 1,000 buildings in the Great Smoky Mountains tourist region. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP)

Devastating Gatlinburg fires

By any measure, this year has been one of the deadliest and most damaging seasons for weather disasters in Tennessee history.

A firestorm raced through Sevier County on Nov. 28, covering more than 17,000 acres, killing 14 people, displacing more than 14,000 residents and visitors, and destroying or damaging 2,460 homes and businesses.

It was just the finishing touch on a two-month series of fires that burned through 44,027 acres in Tennessee and more than 300,000 acres in the South.

Read more at our news partner's website, knoxnews.com.

Wildfires at a glance

› The Tennessee Division of Forestry states 1,427 fires burned across 44,027 acres this year.› Gov. Bill Haslam has called the Sevier wildfire “the worst in a century in Tennessee.”› Fifteen total people died in the Southeast fires — 14 in Sevier County, one in Mississippi.› Totals released Friday on the Sevier County fires showed a cost of $5,916,962 for Chimney Tops fire.

Online

U.S. Forest Service’s South Area Coordination Center: gacc.nifc.gov