About the Webinar:

The November 28, 2016 wildfire at Gatlinburg, TN was the perfect storm of combined drought, high wind, and very dense and widespread wildland urban interface conditions. In a 10 hour period   it burned 18,000 acres along with 2000 structures and caused 14 deaths. This presentation will discuss these extreme fire conditions and the tactics used by the TN Division of Forestry in protecting structures before and after the fire moved through the community.  What Gatlinburg is doing concerning future wildfire prevention will also be discussed.
 

Webinar Recording:

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View PDF of Powerpoint Slides >

 

About the Presenter: 

Steve Roark has spent 30 years in the service of the Tennessee Division of Forestry where he is currently the Area Forester. Through this position he provides assistance with forest management  on private forest land, public information/education programs, wildfire control, and prescribed fire use on private lands. Steve in involved with establishing and implementing the TN Certified Burner Program. Before his career with Tennessee Division of Forestry, Steve served as a forester for the Kentucky Division of Forestry (5 years). He graduated in 1976 with a degree in Forestry from the University of Kentucky. Steve is presently living on the family farm in the hills of east Tennessee.