Cat alerts Tennessee man to Gatlinburg fires
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee man who owns a store in Gatlinburg is so naturally laid back, the first word that wildfires were near the community didn't unnerve him.
Mark Burger, 60, figured his cellphone would get an evacuation alert if the situation became dangerous, he said.
After inquiries, officials have since said no evacuation alert was sent to mobile devices.
Tennessee's monthslong drought and wildfire emergency culminated Nov. 28 when hurricane-force winds sent unpredictable fires racing through the Gatlinburg area.
On Nov. 28, Burger was relaxing in his mountainside Gatlinburg condo with Tiger, his Siamese cat, for company. Burger's son, Tanner, found Tiger as a kitten abandoned. Tanner rescued Tiger and gave him to Burger as a gift.
Now, it seems Tiger has repaid Burger for his life.
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"I never did get the evacuation alert and Monday the fire seemed far enough away from downtown and the condos on hillsides nearby that I thought it was likely it would be contained before it threatened the city," Burger recalled.
He owns a gift shop called Peace Frogs downtown that sells T-shirts, jewelry and other mementos. He was confident enough that the fire was far away that he didn't take away any merchandise for storage elsewhere. He didn't have a go-bag packed in his condo, which is at the end of a winding road on a mountain ridge.
But Tiger sensed something was terribly wrong a bit after 8 p.m. The normally calm cat stood staring at the curtained windows, then paced back and forth in front of the door. Tiger would run up to Burger and try to attract his attention, then race back to the door.
"I figured I might as well take out the trash and take a look to see if an animal like a raccoon might be making Tiger nervous," Burger said. "When I got across the lot, I could see the flames all over the mountains across from my condo."
Burger hurried inside, grabbed some clean shirts, his heart medicine and Tiger and jumped in the car. He rushed down the mountain, wondering how fast the fire would move.
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At least 14 people were killed in the fire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The National Park Service said Sunday that an 81-year-old woman died as a result of a multiple vehicle accident while trying to flee the fire.
Officials estimate 1,684 homes, businesses and other structures were damaged or destroyed by the firestorm.
At least 134 people have been treated for fire-related injuries.
About an inch of rain fell on the mountains Sunday, helping suppress the remaining fires. More rain is forecast for Monday evening.
Burger waited more than four hours in a long line of cars Friday to get into Gatlinburg, along with other residents and business owners. His condo and his store survived, intact. His insurance agent has a mobile unit in the town ready to make sure the store would be cleaned of any smoke smell.
"He's a pretty great cat," Burger said.
So, did he treat Tiger to a cat toy as a reward for being a furry fire alarm?
"No, he really doesn't care about toys. He never gets bored because he's so curious about everything around him."
Contributing: Megan Boehnke and Travis Dorman, Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel. Follow Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel on Twitter: @knoxnews