VIDEO: November 28th marks five years since the Chimney Tops 2 fire spread out of control into populated areas in Sevier County, devastating portions the area in 2016 and claiming 14 lives.
There were 1,032 structures destroyed or substantially damaged in that fire. But after the smoke had cleared, East Tennesseans worked together to quickly rebuild.
In the five years since, some scars from the fire can still be seen in the mountains, but they continue to heal. From the initial recovery to present day, it's been through the hard work and large hearts of countless people -- both named and unnamed -- that the area has been able to rebuild and moved forward since those harrowing days. The year 2017 began with hardship for many as they worked to recover what they could from the fires.