© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'It Was Pure Devastation': Tennessee Fire Survivor Describes His Escape

The remains of a home smolder in the wake of a wildfire Nov. 30, 2016 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. (Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
The remains of a home smolder in the wake of a wildfire Nov. 30, 2016 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. (Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

[Youtube]

Two Tennessee teens are being held responsible for the wildfires that tore through the City of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the surrounding areas of Sevier County. The fires killed at least 14 people, injured 176 and damaged more than 2,400 homes and businesses.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with resident Michael Luciano about his harrowing escape from the Chalet Village Fire in Gatlinburg, and the video he recorded as he made his way down the mountain.

Note: The video above, recorded by Luciano, contains some explicit language.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.