By Scott Pearson

Staff Writer

As an already bad year for wildfires in East Tennessee flared up into a firestorm that swept through the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area, Marshall County stood ready to help.

Director of Marshall County Emergency Management Steve Calahan said that on Tuesday the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency made a request for assistance from Marshall County.

Departments all across the state have been called on for assistance as part of a statewide mutual aid agreement during disaster level events.

Crews and equipment were packed and ready to go on Wednesday as they waited for the TEMA order to head east or to stand down.

At roughly 3:00 p.m., they received word from TEMA to stand down, needs in the areas effected by the fires had been met and would not require county crews.

Lewisburg Fire Chief Larry Williams said that his department was prepared to send their reserve fire engine and five fire fighters.

Williams said that he assumed that they would have been used to relieve fire crews who had been fighting the blaze over the last two or three days.

Changing weather in east Tennessee, including some rain, had enabled firefighters already deployed to gain control over the situation.

The Marshall County Highway Department was prepared to send a backhoe, and dump truck, and chainsaws, in order to help with cleanup and removal of debris.

The Farmington-Rich Creek Volunteer Fire Department had committed a tanker and a brush truck to the potential relief.

The Chapel Hill Fire Department was prepared to send a fire engine as well, according to Calahan.

The local Emergency Management Office was sending a brush truck and tanker as well as Personnel from the Mooresville VFD and South Marshall VFD had also volunteered to go.

Williams said that plans were already in place for any extra coverage the county might need with some equipment being deployed in the east.

"We want to help if they need it," said Williams. "We are standing down now but are happy to go if they call us."

The fires that struck Sevier County this week, fanned by strong winds, have been described as the worst in the state in the last one hundred years.

Authorities are still assessing damage in the area of the fires with approximately 700 buildings reported as destroyed or damaged so far.

Seven fatalities have been confirmed and searches continue for missing or unaccounted for residents and visitors.