Gatlinburg, Tennessee (CNN) Three people died in raging wildfires in Sevier County, Tennessee, that scorched roughly 15,000 acres, showered residents with embers and sent people scrambling to evacuate from resort communities. The wildfires, which started Monday, damaged or destroyed more than 250 buildings in and near the eastern Tennessee's resort towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, but it spared some major tourist attractions in a dizzying 24 hours, officials said Tuesday. Evacuees said the fire that spread without warning from the Great Smoky Mountains surrounded their homes, forcing them to leave with only the clothes on their backs. "There was flames everywhere. It was a firestorm," Mark Benzschawel, 52, of Gatlinburg told CNN's Nick Valencia.Three are reported deadAbout 15,000 acres scorchedGatlinburg Mayor's home among 250+ structures lost
"It's a devastating time for us, and for _," Werner said.