I formulated a list of questions for the National Park Service regarding their handling (mismanagement) of the Lookout Mountain fire that caused millions of dollars of damage after it reached the Incline trestle. Those questions remain unanswered.
The original fire, which the NPS claims was ignited by sparks from a small rock fall, started the morning of Dec. 7.
What was originally a small brush fire between the Mountain Beautiful and Hardy Trails on the East Brow of Lookout Mountain, if managed well, should have been contained within hours.
But this was not the Chattanooga Fire Department's responsibility, this was not the Lookout Mountain Fire Department's responsibility - this was the NPS responsibility.
For months, the Park Service has declined to answer questions about their management, thus in late March I inquired with the members of Congress in whose jurisdictions the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park is located - Chuck Fleischmann and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Here are my original questions to the Park Service:
This complaint involves the Lookout Mountain unit of the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park.
Specifically, it regards the failure of C&C NMP personnel to respond professionally to a small brushfire in its Lookout Mountain, Tennessee unit. That fire began at 0630 on Dec. 7, 2024.
Below you will find my initial letter of inquiry to the Park Superintendent, Brad Bennett. I received email confirmation that he received this letter but no response.
The letter outlines both my concern about the fire management and a detailed fire progression timeline. It raises specific questions about who was responsible for not containing the small fire line in the six hours before it engulfed the upper trestle system of the Lookout Mountain (CARTA) Incline Railway.
After interviewing other agencies involved, it is clear that the National Park Service coordination and response to this fire was inadequate at best, and indicative of the lack of leadership that has plagued the NPS, and specifically the C&C NMP, for many years.
After sending and resending my initial NPS questions for two months to the Park Superintendent and receiving no response, I finally received a response from the NPS Chief Ranger, Todd Milsaps, who advised me that the Superintendent was unavailable for personal reasons. After several more days I was able to obtain an email address for the Chief Ranger and sent him my original list of questions as noted below.
Almost three months after the fire, I received an email back from the Chief Ranger with a "copy/paste" message advising me that if I wanted answers to these questions, I would have to file a FOIA request.
Based on the lack of response from the Superintendent and the obfuscatory response from the Chief Ranger, I am forwarding this information for publication in hope that will finally prompt a response.
Below is my original letter and specific questions, which the NPS has refused to answer:
What follows are questions about the NPS management of the Lookout Mountain fire in December. I presume an after-action report if there is one, is complete.
I am asking these questions in order that mistakes not be repeated in the event of a future fire, particularly if it is below the West Brow of the Mountain.
For context, I am a generational resident of this area with a great respect for the preservation of our National Military Park. I was on the board of Friends of the Park for years, notably at the time we raised millions of dollars for the Chickamauga visitor center expansion.
Additionally, I have spent many years working in official capacities with local, state and federal agencies providing emergency services coordination.
Regarding the fire response timeline on Dec. 7 (please correct this if not accurate).
0630: CFD responded to a report of a brush fire on the east side of Lookout Mountain in the NPS boundary between Hardy/Guild Trail (Battlefield Walk and Bike Trail) and Mountain Beautiful Trail.
1130: The fire was still not contained and slowly moving north, and there was discussion that if it continues, it could engulf the Incline trestle timbers and result in a major fire.
1410: Fire reached the incline track trestle structure.
1440: UH60 Blackhawk performs fire suppression water dumps on the railway but departs before the fires were contained.
From the elevation above the fire, the Town Of Lookout Mountain TN - Police & Fire Department sprayed more than 100,000 gallons of water to protect the upper incline station and East Brow residential homes.
But the overspray options were limited.
However, water lines could have been readily deployed over the brow to firefighters below the brow in order to both facilitate containment of the fire line and saturate the dry tender between the fire line and incline trestle to mitigate the potential of the trestle catching fire. It was difficult terrain but a relatively small fire, and the containment solutions were evident long before the track trestle timbers were involved.
My questions:
What time was NPS notified about the fire?
What time did NPS personnel arrive and where?
Did the NPS Chief Ranger respond? If so, when and where?
Was there a designated NPS Incident Commander for management of this fire? If so, who was that?
If so, when did the NPS Incident Commander arrive to begin management, and where?
Did the NPS Incident Commander identify himself/herself to the other responding agencies? If so, with whom and where?
In the almost eight hours prior to the slow-moving brush fire reaching and igniting the Incline rail trestle, was consideration given to water lines being deployed over the brow to firefighters below the brow in order to both facilitate containment of the fire line and saturate the dry tender between the fire line and incline trestle to mitigate the potential of the trestle catching fire.
Why was a tank trunk not deployed on Hardy Trail to assist with providing hoses and water to the firefighters below the brow.
A tank truck did arrived on the north entrance to Hardy Trail, but did not enter the park because they had no jurisdictional authorization.
All the above questions notwithstanding, the most important question: What actions could/should NPS have taken to prevent the fire line from moving north and igniting the Incline trestlework timbers - very costly damage.
Why were two mitigating actions not taken hours before the fire reached the trestle timbers: First, the deployment of tank trucks (which were available) on Hardy Trail; Second, the application of fire suppression from hoses lowered from above the brow line to saturate tinder between the fire line and incline trestlework.
Failure to prevent the fire from reaching the incline trestlework was not a Town Of Lookout Mountain TN - Police & Fire Department or a Chattanooga Fire Department failure. The cost to CARTA and their insurer is significant.
Why do these questions matter?
Because recognizing past mistakes helps prevent future mistakes, and for those who recall the West Brow fires during the drought of 2016, those wildfires definitely had the potential of topping the brow and burning homes, based on wind conditions.
I would appreciate your response to these questions and a copy of any after action report prepared by the NPS.
Mark Caldwell
Lookout Mountain, Tn.
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I don’t think there’s a NPS fire crew on Lookout Mountain. I’m wondering if there’s any NPS employees left on the mountain or in the Battlefield.
Trump will fix the employee numbers to take care of our National Treasures. Aren’t you happy?
Roger Mayo