How Sevier County residents are rallying after 2022 wildfires destroyed Wears Valley homes

Just because last year's wildfires in Sevier County have been extinguished doesn't mean the pain is over.

The Indigo fire in Wears Valley destroyed more than 200 structures while burning for nearly a week last spring. A fire in Seymour destroyed everything in its 1,000-acre path.

While no deaths were reported, heirlooms, natural beauty and livelihoods were lost in the flames. One year later, communities are trying to rebuild.

Keep scrolling through this Knox News exclusive to see photos read their corresponding descriptions.

Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department wasn't always a manned station. But with Sevier County in "code red" last March due to an extreme fire threat, firefighters were on hand waiting for the call.

And then it came.

Battalion Chief Jon Lanier was among the first to arrive at a brush fire on Indigo Lane in the Wears Valley area, but it quickly became clear with the wind and dry landscape that this fire was a much bigger threat.

"It was almost like a light switch went off; it went from a brush fire to a wildfire − which is fast-moving, dangerous and explosive − in seconds," Lanier told Knox News. "There was a house that I could see across the valley, and it was almost like it exploded. It caught fire that fast."

By April 5, the fire was contained after nearly a week of fighting flames that ravaged through cabins and trees. One year later, a community is still trying to rebuild.

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The Indigo fire burned 2,500 acres of the Great Smoky Mountains and impacted 219 structures.

Many cabins in the area were housing short-term guests instead of full-time residents, making evacuations even more of a challenge.

Fires come with the territory of living in the Smokies. Residents know who to call and follow local fire departments for updates on conditions.

"With the tourists, that dynamic changes a little because they may not be aware," Lanier said. "If they're from some area where there's flat land, fire moves slower. You can see it from miles off. It usually doesn't turn into this."

Emergency workers regularly talk with rental companies about these dangers and contacted them as the fire spread. People were evacuated without a single reported death.

National coverage of the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires brought more attention to the dangers of East Tennessee's mountainous region.

Lanier said the challenges emergency personnel faced battling those fires resulted in the creation of a Wildland Task Force, which was in play during the Wears Valley wildfire. This system sends alerts to every fire department in the county and others nearby to notify of fast-moving fires.

Since the Wears Valley fire, he said, residents seem to be keeping a closer eye on the dangers. "They're acutely aware when they drive past in the morning that when our sign changes ... they know the colors on our signs, and they're all around here. You'll even see them on Facebook commenting from time to time: 'Oh, it's a high fire threat. Why is so-and-so burning?' The residents will call as soon as they see (a danger) because they're very keyed in."

Robert Croskery, a retired Army veteran, changed the name of a Hatcher Mountain Road cabin to "Patriot Dream" when he and his wife, Melinda Knisley, made it their home in 2018.

The couple fell in love with the position of the cabin and its panorama of views overlooking nearby mountains and valleys − so much so that they opened a new cabin home across the street in 2021. They were staying in Cincinnati when the 2022 fire started, while short-term guests were staying at the two homes on Hatcher Mountain Road.

Patriot Dream was evacuated at the request of firefighters knocking on doors, Croskery said, while guests at the other cabin were out hiking and lost their belongings in the flames. "Devastation;" that's how Croskery describes the total destruction. But he wasn't going to let the story end there.

Croskery has rebuilt Patriot Dream exactly as he remembers it but, with inflation and insurance challenges, there's about $90,000 of costs that "didn't need to be there."

After the fire, the couple lived in their Airstream Travel Trailer, which somehow survived the flames. They parked their temporary home at a Pigeon Forge RV resort, whose laundry facility served as Croskery's sketch room for rough blueprints. He gave those blueprints to his brother, who improved them before they were passed on to an architect.

The hard work culminated March 23 with a ribbon cutting marking the first burned-down cabin to reopen. "I think the cabin is better in every way, except for the heirlooms that we lost that can't be replaced," Croskery told Knox News. "It's a rebirth of a dream"

In the days following the fire, Patrick Vaughn examined the damage at his family's Von Bryan Estate atop Hatcher Mountain Road.

Just like the Patriot Dream next door, it was completely destroyed − movie theater, hot tubs, eleven bedrooms and all. All that remained were piles of rubble and melted fire engines left behind by first responders who, according to Vaughn, narrowly escaped with their lives. The estate has been a family business since 1988, starting as a bed and breakfast before growing to accommodate 42 people.

"If we are able to rebuild, I don't see it being finished for three or four years," Vaughn said at the time. One year later, the lot remains empty where the impressive estate once stood.

When it comes time to rebuild cabins, Ronnie Wheelock will be ready. While the circumstances are less than ideal, the owner of Riverwoods Home Furnishings on Wears Valley Road takes pride knowing his hand-crafted furniture can help his neighbors once again feel at home.

With the success of his cabinet business in Florida, Wheelock purchased the furniture store in 2021. While he was used to hurricanes and other natural disasters, nothing could have prepared him for the wildfire. He reacted by first making sure his staff was taken care of, followed by donating to the "heroes" at a local volunteer fire department.

One year later, Wheelock has found new ways to help.

"We have had people that are already rebuilding that are coming in to refurnish," he said. "Knowing that, I work with people on overall costs, especially if they're furnishing their whole home. That's kind of my way of saying, 'OK, I'm not charging you retail for everything.' You do want the business, but it's unfortunate how the business came about."

Firefighters put their lives on the line every time they put on their uniform.

"Our responsibility is we say, 'Risk a lot to save a lot, risk little to save a little,'" Lanier said. "Well, when there's a lot to save − people and evacuations and structures − we'll risk our lives. And it's one of those things you don't always think about until afterwards."

Judging by community response, it seems residents understood the risks firefighters were taking. So much food was coming into the Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department that the tables were covered.

"The high school was just packed to create places for our fire crews to rehab and recover between their operational periods," Lanier said. "I think that, as always, the good from that is always you see that we have a community around here that rallies immediately. They don't run away from the fight."

One year later, there's rebuilding in some areas. In other areas, just rubble. But everywhere you look, people are reminded of the natural beauty that makes the mountainous areas of East Tennessee some of the most unique communities in the country. "It seems like you can see beyond the years here," Croskery said.

Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.   

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Smokies wildfires leave Sevier County rebuilding one year later