NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Authorities on Wednesday charged two juveniles in an East Tennessee wildfire that killed 14 people and destroyed or damaged more than 1,700 buildings in an iconic tourism spot at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains. The TBI later said in a news release that an investigation by Special Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, National Park Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the charges. The largest of the blazes, the so-called Chimney Tops 2, broke out on Nov. 23 in a remote rugged area dubbed Chimney Tops in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, authorities said. Earlier, investigation revealed that "two juveniles allegedly started the fire.” Both were taken into custody Wednesday morning and are being held at the Sevier County Juvenile Detention Center. Two juveniles face charges of aggravated arson in connection with a deadly Tennessee wildfire that began in late November and spread to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, according to Mark Gwyn, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Story highlights Residents and business owners near Gatlinburg allowed to return to their properties

Fire began on November 27 and spread to 17,000 acres

(CNN) Two juveniles face charges of aggravated arson in connection with a deadly Tennessee wildfire that began in late November and spread to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, according to Mark Gwyn, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman Josh DeVine declined to release details about the juveniles, who have been arrested, citing their ages and the ongoing investigation. Additional charges are being considered, 4th District Attorney General James Dunn said, including the possibility of seeking a transfer to adult criminal court.
Two juveniles are charged with aggravated arson in relation to the wildfires that claimed 14 lives in the US town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.