6 episodes

On the night of Nov. 28, 2016, an unprecedented wildfire swept out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and into the popular tourist town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. When the night ended, 14 people had died and countless lives were changed forever. In Inferno: The Gatlinburg Disaster, WBIR looks back at what happened, what went wrong, and where we go from here.

Inferno | The Gatlinburg Disaster WBIR

    • News
    • 5.0 • 76 Ratings

On the night of Nov. 28, 2016, an unprecedented wildfire swept out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and into the popular tourist town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. When the night ended, 14 people had died and countless lives were changed forever. In Inferno: The Gatlinburg Disaster, WBIR looks back at what happened, what went wrong, and where we go from here.

    From The Ashes

    From The Ashes

    How do you move on from a disaster? Though Gatlinburg was devastated by wildfires three years ago, the city refused to stay reduced to rubble. But it took strength, patience, and time. In this final episode of Inferno, hear firsthand how the people of this small Tennessee town rose up from the ash. 

    • 28 min
    In The Moment

    In The Moment

    As people fled the wildfire threatening their lives, a select few ran towards it. These people risked their own lives to save others - but heroism is harder than it looks. In this episode, hear from the heroes of Gatlinburg as they recount the courage it took to battle the flames that November night.

    • 53 min
    Blame

    Blame

    As devastating as the November 2016 wildfire disaster was for Gatlinburg, the ensuing months offered little good news… and a lot of heartaches. Loved ones buried loved ones; neighbor reached out to neighbor. Victims struggled to rebuild. But still, one of the state’s worst natural disasters in a hundred years left wounds, accusations and divisions, that were slow to heal.

    • 21 min
    We Would Have Gone

    We Would Have Gone

    On the night of November 28, 2016, a wildfire swept out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and into the popular tourist town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. When the night ended, 14 people had died, and countless lives were changed forever. On this episode, we try to answer the biggest question most everyone had that night: Why was there no warning? 

    • 38 min
    "To Die Like That"

    "To Die Like That"

    On the night of November 28, 2016, a wildfire swept out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and into the popular tourist town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  When the night ended, 14 people had died, and countless lives were changed forever. In this episode, hear firsthand accounts of survivors who were trapped on the burning mountain – and the stories of the people who never made it out.

    • 56 min
    If We Make It

    If We Make It

    On the night of November 28, 2016, a wildfire swept out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and into the popular tourist town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. When the night ended, 14 people had died and countless lives were changed forever. In this episode, the disaster unfolds around an Alabama couple whose Smoky Mountain vacation ended with them trapped inside an elevator for hours, pleading with 911 for help.

    • 43 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
76 Ratings

76 Ratings

DebElkins ,

A gut punch

Well told, heart wrenching and gripping. I held my breath through most of the episodes. God Bless Gatlinburg. I pray that change occurs for spreading information for future safety. Thank you for telling the stories.

jack ryan knoxville ,

Inferno is a must listen.

Heartbreak and heroism in one. Incredible story telling and award worthy journalism taking on one of the biggest Tennessee disasters of all time.

LizMinor ,

Raw and powerful

What an intense and heartbreaking podcast. Just listing I replay all those events that evening and the week prior. The smoke that filled Knoxville to the point of not being able to breathe, to watching the horror of events on social media and TV. God Bless the mountain and all that were effected by the fire.

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