The wildfires spread with little warning Monday night and early Tuesday, fueled by wind gusts of almost 90 mph, according to USA Today.

The blaze apparently began when embers from a wildfire on nearby Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park wafted into the Twin Creek and Mynatt Park areas of town Monday night as the already heavy winds doubled in speed, the Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller told the Knoxville News Sentinel.

At least 14 people suffered fire-related injuries, four of them serious. More than 2,000 people had been taken to emergency shelters.

Some people, including guests at hotels in Gatlinburg, could not comply with the evacuation orders as the fire advanced Monday night because falling trees engulfed in flames blocked the only road out, CNN reported.

Damage widespread

The center of Gatlinburg’s tourist district escaped heavy damage, but "it's the apocalypse" on either side, Newmansville Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Bobby Balding told USA Today.

Firefighters struggled to stop the flames throughout the day Tuesday, spurring help from across the state. More than 200 firefighters poured into the area from as far west as Memphis, and the Tennessee National Guard used a helicopter to dump water on the flames.

Eight new fires erupted Tuesday into Wednesday, Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said. The heavy rains that followed the fires have created "new challenges" as firefighters continue to check hot spots and assess damages, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.

Wildfires have ravaged the Southeast throughout the month leaving a haze of smoke across the region.

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Storms kill 5 in Alabama and Tennesse

Sourthern states were also hit with servere storms on Tuesday night. At least 5 people have died.

In northeastern Alabama, a tornado killed at least three people early Wednesday, according to NBC News. Two people were later confirmed dead in Tennessee.

A large area of the Southeast was set to stay under a tornado watch until noon Wednesday.

Keep reading to view more photos of the Tennessee wildfire damage:

Burned structures are seen from aboard a National Guard helicopter near Gatlinburg, Tenn., Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. Thousands of people raced through a hell-like landscape to escape wildfires that killed several people and destroyed hundreds of homes in the Great Smoky Mountains. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

A burned out building smolders in Gatlinburg, Tenn. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

Burned out frames side-by-side utility vehicles sit at the side of the road in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The fatal wildfires swept over the tourist town the night before, causing widespread damage. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

A scorched vehicle sits next to a burned out building in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Thousands of people raced through a hell-like landscape to escape wildfires that killed several people and destroyed hundreds of homes in the Great Smoky Mountains. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

Burned structures are seen from aboard a National Guard helicopter near Gatlinburg, Tenn., on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

A destroyed home seen from aboard a National Guard helicopter near Gatlinburg, Tenn. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

Law enforcement vehicles drive through the smoke near structures destroyed by wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tenn., Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016.

People inspect the remains of a home burned by a wildfire near Gatlinburg, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

A swimming pool in a motel complex shows burn marks Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in Gatlinburg, Tenn., after a wildfire swept through the area Monday. Three more bodies were found in the ruins of wildfires that torched hundreds of homes and businesses in the Great Smoky Mountains area, officials said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Smokes rises out of the remains of a burned-out business. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

A burned car sits in a parking lot Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, in Gatlinburg, Tenn., after a wildfire swept through the area Monday. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)