SEVIER COUNTY, TN — Two juveniles have been arrested and charged for the deadly Gatlinburg fires in Sevier County Tennessee, according to the Associated Press and our CBS sister station WVLT.
- 14 people killed in Gatlinburg fires
- 1700 structures lost
- More than 17,000 acres burned in Chimney Tops area
- Local grandfather lost his daughter-in-law, two granddaughters in fire
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The arrests were announced at a 3 p.m. news conference Wednesday.
The two juveniles are being held at a juvenile detention center in Sevier County after being arrested this morning.
The District Attorney told WVLT the juveniles were not from Sevier County, but are residents of Tennessee.
Officials say, “everything is on the table,” and said the two juveniles could be facing more charges or could be tried as adults, according to WVLT.
The joint investigation by the Tennessee and federal agencies, along with dozens of tips from the public resulted in the arrests.
The fires started on November 23 in the Chimney Tops area of the Smoky Mountains.
Officials have not said exactly how the teens allegedly started the fires.
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