Dolly Parton 'heartbroken' by raging wildfire that causes Dollywood to close
Dolly Parton's famous Dollywood theme park near the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee was closed Tuesday as a wildfire ravaged the area and made its way seriously close to the park's border.
The legendary attraction, a Parton-themed collection of roller coasters, water rides and other attractions along with a resort and mountain cabins, was expected to remain shuttered through Wednesday, park spokesman Pete Owens told Mashable.
Dolly said she was "heartbroken" by the fire, which seems to have spared her domain for now -- although it did reportedly reach "right on the doorstep."
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More than a dozen cabins were damaged or destroyed in the Chimney Top Fire that spread through the dry Southeast region Monday night. The blaze is part of a larger outbreak of fires in the region caused by unusually mild and dry conditions.
Fifty rooms at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and at 19 cabins at Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins were evacuated. As of Tuesday, the resort is open on a limited basis for "for those in need and for registered guests," Dollywood staff said on its website.
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Owens told Mashable that the last time the park had to close was two years ago for two days because of severe snow and ice.
Dolly Parton wrote on Facebook Tuesday that she was praying for the families affected.
The fire destroyed many structures in Gatlinburg, about 15 miles south of the theme park, including Cupid's Chapel of Love and the Mountain Lodge restaurant.
The restaurant owners said on their Facebook page Tuesday morning that "the Mountain Lodge might not physically be standing but it will live on forever in our wonderful memories that you have all made possible."
A Twitter user, meanwhile, posted a photo purportedly of Cupid's Chapel ablaze taken by a firefighting brother-in-law.
Local TV station WBIR is updating a growing list of buildings in the area, many of which were damaged or destroyed. Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg has said that its animals are safe. The attraction will remain closed until evacuation orders in the area are lifted.
Tennessee emergency officials reported Tuesday that three people suffered severe burns, almost 12,000 are without power, thousands of residents have been evacuated, roads blocked by trees and power lines remain impassable and most schools are closed.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday afternoon that three people have died in the fire to date.
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
