The Salvation Army responds in wake of Tennessee wildfire

By: Eric Short

The Salvation Army’s Knoxville Area Command responded to a wildfire in the Wears Valley, Tennessee area on Wednesday, March 30. The command responded with its mobile canteen unit and provided meals, drinks, snacks, and spiritual comfort to first responders battling the flames.

Major Cameron Henderson, Knoxville Area Commander, responded with the mobile canteen unit from Knoxville, along with Lt. Melissa Melching of the Sevierville Corps and other volunteers. By 11:00 pm on Wednesday, they had served 280 meals, 500 bottles of water, 100 Gatorades, and 425 snacks.

"The Salvation Army of Sevierville has been working diligently along with other partners in the community to serve our first responders who are fighting the fires on the front lines," said Lt. Melching. "The generosity of our community has been overwhelming and we are grateful that we are able to support our firefighters and police officers as they help contain and control the fires," she added.

The Salvation Army has coordinated with local emergency management officials to setup a fixed feeding site at Pigeon Forge High School, located at 414 Tiger Drive, for ongoing support.