Tennessee Wildfire Insurance Claims Hit $842M

Tennessee state officials said last month that insurance claims have topped $842 million in the deadly eastern Tennessee wildfires that burned thousands of buildings.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported the number, provided by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Jan. 18.

The department says as of Jan. 6, the Gatlinburg-area wildfires resulted in more than 3,900 claims and more than $842 million in residential and commercial property losses.

The numbers don’t include damages to uninsured structures.

In mid-December, Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters estimated damages at more than $500 million. Previously, 2,460 structures were deemed damaged or destroyed.

On Nov. 28, gale-force winds spread wildfires to the Gatlinburg area, killing 14 people.

Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Michael Peacock said FEMA had approved $2.5 million in wildfire-related grants as of Jan. 17.