Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

A gateway community to Smokey Mountain National Park and home to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is a unique rural/suburban community that includes thousands of seasonal cabins, residential homes, and condominiums spread throughout valleys, hillsides, and forested areas.

In November 2016, Pigeon Forge lost 18 homes in a fire that consumed nearly 2,500 homes and killed 14 in neighboring Gatlinburg. With active Firewise Communities and Ready, Set, Go! programs, the community is actively pursuing diverse tools to reduce its wildfire risk.

In 2018, CPAW conducted a site visit and conducted a half-day training for key stakeholders, including local planners, fire personnel, local land management agencies, and local businesses, development, and professional groups. The training focused on wildfire basics and land use planning tools for wildfire. CPAW also provided recommendations and resources for improving land use planning strategies for wildfire in Pigeon Forge. Among CPAW’s recommendations were to establish a collaborative wildfire community working group, incorporate more content into the community wildfire protection plan (CWPP), link the CWPP with other local planning documents, and coordinate with the Tennessee Division of Forestry to update the CWPP template.

Snapshot

  • 2018 CPAW Community
  • Population (2015): 6,039
  • Growth Rate (2010-2015): 3.6%
  • Fuel Type: Pine and oak

Resources