TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Paul Burch on Aug 17, 2023

A federal appellate panel unanimously ruled today that a lawsuit filed by the families of victims of the 2016 fire in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can proceed, reports Knox News. The ruling overturned last year's district court decision that tossed out the lawsuit over the omission of specific language concerning the National Park Service’s responsibilities to warn the surrounding community in the event of an out-of-control fire. The blaze, which left 14 dead, overran firebreaks and burned large parts of Gatlinburg. A previous story in Knox News reported that park officials were aware that high winds posed a danger to spreading the blaze but failed to notify city or county officials in time.