GATLINBURG, Tenn. — With flames dripping from tree branches like lava and the air filled with embers, thousands of people raced through a hell-like landscape as they fled from wildfires that have killed three people and destroyed hundreds of homes and a resort in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Fanned by hurricane-force winds, the flames reached the doorstep of Dollywood, the theme park named after country music legend and local hero Dolly Parton. But the attraction was spared any significant damage.
The fires spread quickly on Monday night, when winds topping 87 miles per hour whipped up the flames, catching residents and tourists in the Gatlinburg area by surprise. Police banged on front doors and told people to get out immediately. Some trekked 20 minutes to catch lifesaving rides on trolleys usually reserved for tours and wedding parties.
‘‘There was fire everywhere,’’ said Linda Monholland, who was working at Park View Inn in Gatlinburg when she and five other people fled on foot. “It was like we were in hell. Walking through hell, that’s what it was. I can’t believe it. I never want to see something like that again in my life, ever.’’
‘‘Hell opened up,’’ her co-worker Sissy Stinnett said.
In all, more than 14,000 residents and tourists were forced to evacuate the tourist city in the mountains, where some hotspots persisted and a curfew was planned for Tuesday night.
No details on the deaths were immediately available. More than a dozen people were injured.
The winds calmed and rain fell on some of the fires early Tuesday, but officials were worried that fire could spread again by evening, with forecasts calling for winds up to 60 miles per hour. Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said officials were still conducting search-and-rescue missions.
‘‘We have not been able to get in all of the areas,’’ he said. ‘‘We pray that we don’t experience any more fatalities, but there are still areas that we are trying to get to because of downed trees and power lines.’’
Photos of the Gatlinburg area showed scorched cars and buildings and soot-covered debris scattered across roads. A smoky haze hung in the air, obscuring picturesque fall views of the mountains awash in red, yellow, and gold leaves.
Though wildfires have been burning for several weeks across the drought-stricken South, Monday marked the first time any homes and businesses were destroyed on a large scale.
The wildfires spread when winds blew trees onto power lines, sparking new fires and shooting embers over long distances. Hundreds of homes and other buildings, including a 16-story hotel, were damaged or destroyed.
Emergency officials ordered evacuations in downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and in other areas of Sevier County near the Great Smoky Mountains.
About 1,200 people took shelter at the Gatlinburg Community Center and the Rocky Top Sports Park, an 80-acre sports facility.
Tammy Dillon had just come home from work when police banged on her door around 9:30 p.m. Monday. She said she drove through a fiery scene to get to Rocky Top Sports Park, where she spent the night in a car.
‘‘We drove through flames, over hot embers in the road,’’ she said. “It was awful.’’
In downtown Gatlinburg, workers at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies left behind more than 10,000 fish and other animals. Police escorted a team of marine biologists and life support experts back into the aquarium Tuesday, and the animals were doing fine, Ripley’s said in a news release.
Based on preliminary surveys, the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa in Gatlinburg is likely entirely gone, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency announced.
Although Dollywood was not damaged, more than a dozen cabins operated by the park were.
Dollywood suspended operations through at least Wednesday. Its DreamMore resort will be open on a limited basis as a shelter and for registered guests.
