Dolly Parton heartbroken by wildfires torching her hometown
ATLANTA — Country music icon Dolly Parton says she’s heartbroken about wildfires that tore through the Tennessee county where she grew up but spared the Dollywood theme park that bears her name.
In a statement released Tuesday by her publicists, Parton said she’s been watching the “terrible fires” in the Great Smoky Mountains. At least 14,000 people have been forced to evacuate the tourist area of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and a dozen people have been injured in the wildfires.
“I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe,” she said.
In a video released just hours before the wildfires engulfed Gatlinburg and areas around Pigeon Forge, Parton urged people to prevent forest fires.