The media has largely ignored the massive fires currently raging in souther states such as Tennessee, but new videos released by fleeing residents are showing just how terrifying the situation is.
The fires spread so quickly Monday night, there was little if any warning or time to prepare an escape. One dramatic video posted to Youtube shows a man, Michael Luciano, heading down a burning mountain trying to flee the flames, only to be thwarted by downed power lines and trees.
He does not know the fate of his home, but is assuming it’s gone.
As they desperately try to make their way out of danger, Luciano can be heard expressing disbelief at what he’s seeing. “How is every cabin on fire?” he said, while complaining he didn’t hear any warnings whatsoever.
Luciano was in the passenger seat, and his business partner was behind the wheel. At one point in the video Luciano tells the driver to “hit the gas” to which the driver says “but I can’t see.”
“You can see” replied a calm, but obviously worried Luciano. “Hit the gas.”
Luciano also had his dog Red in the vehicle, he can be heard panting heavily as they drive through thick flames and smoke.
“Please Lord, let us get off this mountain,” an exacerbated Luciano says as they run into seemingly another dead end in a sea of fire.
The entire video posted is about 5 minutes in length and is heartstopping, even as Luciano keeps relatively calm considering they are surrounded by a massive, deadly fire.
They were able to eventually make it to safety, but Luciano fears many people were trapped and likely died.
WARNING: Video contains strong language.
Here he is getting to the bottom of the mountain, emotionally spent.
The fires appeared to take many by surprise, as confused onlookers at the Park Vista Hilton Hotel look outside the lobby window only to see giant flames.
#Gatlinburg park vista Hilton hotel pic.twitter.com/MN2CaLNYDF
— ローガン Logan (@Redwolfstone123) November 28, 2016
More stories like these are pouring in – including one from the very hotel in the above tweet. From WBIR:
Christa Fordan was at the Park Vista hotel with her son and nephew, and she was so sure they were going to die, she wrote their names and ages on a piece of paper so they could be identified.
“I knew we only had minutes and we would eventually pass out,” she told 10News. ‘And I remember thinking, I was so thankful that we would pass out, so that they wouldn’t have to (sobbing)… sorry, experience anything more devastating than what they had already experienced.”
Thankfully, rescue workers were able to battle the fires and save them with only minutes to spare. They had masks on during the entire episode, and believe that was the key thing that kept them alive.
There are many more stories like these – you can check them out at WBIR.com
Stay tuned to Faithwire.com for ways you can help people in need.