SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. – Tennessee state arson charges have been dropped against two teenage boys who authorities said set a fire Nov. 23 that spread into Gatlinburg and parts of Sevier County five days later, according to WBIR.
The NBC affiliate reports that District Attorney General James Dunn said in a press release that the state couldn't prove the original fire that was allegedly set by the boys led to the Nov. 28 disaster in Gatlinburg.
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Now, it'll be up to the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue any charges against any individuals alleged to have caused the Smokies fire Nov. 23, according to Dunn.
The announcement comes seven months after the disaster swept across Sevier County - a disaster that the National Park Service had said started with a blaze set in the park's popular Chimney Tops 2 site.
A cloak of secrecy has been thrown over the juveniles' case since they were charged in December, with authorities citing their protected status as juveniles as the reason.