Smoky Mountain Living Art Director Travis Bumgardner and writer Don Hendershot received a bronze medal from the International Regional Magazine Association during the 38th Annual IRMA awards. The honor is for an article that offered analysis of the deadly Chimney Tops 2 fire - the largest wildfire in Tennessee in a century - that struck Gatlinburg in November 2016.
The 12-page report, which appeared in the April/May 2017 edition of Smoky Mountain Living, detailed Gatlinburg in the wake of the devastating blaze, and delved into lessons learned in fire ecology and a better understanding of how fire can devastate a populated area and how developers and government officials must take the risk of fire into consideration when planning mountain development.
Fourteen people died in the blaze as wind gusts of 80 mph spread flames onto downtown Gatlinburg, where half a billion dollars in property burned, though main tourism areas were spared.
The report, tltled A Perfect Storm or the New Norm won the award in the Reader Service category.
"It’s gratifying to win this Reader Service Article award from IRMA," said Smoky Mountain Living Publisher Scott McLeod. "We are primarily a cultural, historical and lifestyle magazine, and don’t often write about news events. However, the Gatlinburg fires were so tragic and the damage so devastating that we have felt compelled to cover the events and the recovery efforts, both economically and environmentally. Don Hendershot is one of our long-time writers who is well-regarded in the outdoors community for his knowledge, and SML Art Director Travis Bumgardner top-notch design for every issue of our magazine."