Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Our neighbor had an accidental close encounter with this young bear in Gatlinburg last month.
🏨 RECOMMENDED PLACES TO STAY
01:53 - Creek-Side Cabin: go.stay22.com/Eg5kXy4tV5
He was headed out to get something out of his car and the bear was in his blind spot until he was only feet away.
What the video doesn’t show is how the man sprinted away almost as quickly as the bear.
While this encounter was accidental, and we all had a good laugh about it later as accidents happen, we always like to remind our readers and viewers about the importance of bear safety in the smokies.
To learn more about what to do if you spot a black bear in the smokies, please check out our article: “What to do if you see a black bear: These 3 tips might surprise you: thesmokies.com/what-to-do-if-you-see-a-black-bear
Disclosure: This blog (and YouTube channel) will occasionally contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission on a purchase without additional cost to you.
Our neighbor had an accidental close encounter with this young bear in Gatlinburg last month.
🏨 RECOMMENDED PLACES TO STAY
01:53 - Creek-Side Cabin: go.stay22.com/Eg5kXy4tV5
He was headed out to get something out of his car and the bear was in his blind spot until he was only feet away.
What the video doesn’t show is how the man sprinted away almost as quickly as the bear.
While this encounter was accidental, and we all had a good laugh about it later as accidents happen, we always like to remind our readers and viewers about the importance of bear safety in the smokies.
To learn more about what to do if you spot a black bear in the smokies, please check out our article: “What to do if you see a black bear: These 3 tips might surprise you: thesmokies.com/what-to-do-if-you-see-a-black-bear
Disclosure: This blog (and YouTube channel) will occasionally contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission on a purchase without additional cost to you.
![Footage offers an up-close look at the massive wildfire in Wears Valley, TN [2022] (Tom Lucas/WCVFD)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vM_9KJPqPK4/mqdefault.jpg "Footage offers an up-close look at the massive wildfire in Wears Valley, TN [2022] (Tom Lucas/WCVFD)
On Wednesday morning, March 30, 2022, officials with the Sevier County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) reported a fire near Hatcher Mountain Road and Indigo Lane in the Wears Valley community.
What started out as a brushfire was quickly upgraded to a forest fire after multiple structure fires were reported in the area.
By 9 pm, The Tennessee Department of Agriculture reported that the Wears Valley fire, which is named the Hatcher Mountain Road/Indigo Lane Fire, had grown to encompass 1,000 acres and was 0% contained.
This video was shot in the Waldens Ridge area of Waldens Creek overnight by local firefighter Tom Lucas. Lucas works for the Sevierville Fire Department but was volunteering for the Waldens Creek Volunteer Fire Department last night when he captured the footage.
Evacuations were ordered for the affected areas. And those evacuation areas grew overnight as crews continued to battle flames.
Lucas credits early evacuation notices for saving lives and preventing people from being caught off guard.
By morning, officials on the ground were reporting that weather conditions had somewhat improved giving crews a much-needed assist.
Rising humidity and rain calmed the fire and lowered the heat early this morning. Winds also calmed a bit.
During a press conference this morning around 10 am, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters reported that the now 3,700-acre fire was 5% contained.
There have been no fatalities and no missing persons. One hundred structures have been affected.
Pigeon Forge Fire Chief Tony Watson says that more hours of work are going to be required before they can declare the fire contained.
#WearsValley #TN #Fires #2022")
