Fires Force Dollywood Evacuations
UPDATED: Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 -- 1:20 p.m. ET
"I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken," Dolly Parton said in a prepared statement. "I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe. It is a blessing that my Dollywood theme park, the DreamMore Resort and so many businesses in Pigeon Forge have been spared."
According to ABC News, the wildfires came right to "the doorstep” of Parton's theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, but firefighters managed to control the fires on Monday night (Nov. 28).
As a precautionary measure, 50 rooms at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort were evacuated, along with 19 cabins in the resort's Smoky Mountain Cabins. Nearby Gatlinburg and parts of Pigeon Forge have come under a mandatory evacuation order.
“We have fire crews on the park working with our team to protect structures," said Pete Owens, a spokesperson for Dollywood. "There is fire on the ridge near the park."
Neither Parton nor the official Dollywood account have tweeted anything about the fires yet, but she sent a video to the media on Sunday (Nov. 27) asking her fans to help protect the Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas by observing burn bans and calling in fires.