Emergency officials increased the death toll Friday morning. There are now 12 deaths related to the firestorm that engulfed Gatlinburg Monday night. A 13th fatality was blamed on smoke inhalation as a woman fled the fire, leading to a heart attack.
Medical examiners are beginning to officially identify the deceased, which include a Memphis couple whose three sons were treated for burns at Vanderbilt. A couple from Canada also died in the fire. Both couples were staying in the badly burned Chalet Village.
Authorities also identified the heart attack victim as Mae Vance, who was vacationing in Gatlinburg. A sixth fatality has been identified by the family has not yet been notified.
At a press conference Friday morning, the state's top elected officials encouraged people to have patience with first-responders, especially on identifying the fatalities.
"I'm from here and I know these folks and they're going to make certain they get it right," Gov. Bill Haslam said. "These are real lives. And nobody wants to make a mistake here."
Video: Discovery and hope amongst the ruins at 1068 Village Loop Road in Chalet Village in #Gatlinburg. pic.twitter.com/z2N7E5cV6f— Mark Nagi (@MarkNagiTDOT) December 2, 2016
The damage assessment continues to increase. Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters says 1,000 structures were either destroyed or severely damaged. He estimates 90 percent of the affected area has been "soft searched" and that the rest should be complete by sundown. But he says that doesn't mean the search is over.
So far, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has not given an updated figure for the number of possible missing people. The number started at 70 leads early Thursday.
Residents and business owners were beginning to be allowed in Friday morning.
HAPPENING NOW: Cars line up to get registered hours ahead of limited daytime access to #Gatlinburg. Hundreds of people w/ so many questions. pic.twitter.com/7QrAZT0ivH— Kelly Rippin (@KellyRippin) December 2, 2016
Authorities blocked off the main road into downtown Gatlinburg for several days, even after the fire had mostly extinguished. But they're allowing residents and business owners to access the area for several hours as long as they can show proof of residency. Gatlinburg is scheduled to reopen to the public on Wednesday.
Copyright 2016 WPLN News
