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Updated 5 p.m.
Three people have been found alive in an elevator after surviving Monday night's firestorm in Gatlinburg.
Their rescue has been a bright spot amid reports that at least seven people were killed and hundreds of structures burned.
The survivors were trying to evacuate when power to their elevator went out. That left them trapped inside while the fire around them raged, says Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller.
"I believe we got notification via 911 through a cell phone that they were in the elevator. And we got crews down there and had to do an elevator rescue and got them out and transported to the appropriate facility," he said at an afternoon press conference.
Search and rescue operations are still under way. They've been complicated by the rainfall, which has induced small mudslides in some places.
Officials say they're also still working to identify the fire's victims. Three more bodies were found Wednesday.
"Certainly, I can say at this time that all of us are praying for those families and are very distressed at the loss of life," Mayor Larry Waters said.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has set up a special hotline for families who are still missing loved ones.
As the death toll rises, so does the damage estimate. While Sevier County first put the figure at 150 structures. Mayor Waters says he's now thinking 400 structures were burned.
Meanwhile, Gatlinburg Mayor Mike Werner says the resort town may re-open roads on Friday. He wants business owners to start assessing damage and hopefully begin paying their employees again.
However, until then he says evacuation orders must remain in place. That’s because there are still areas that haven't been searched and places where power lines are down. And despite the rain, new fires are still being discovered. The fire department thought it was close to done then detected a new structure fire Wednesday afternoon.
Reported earlier:Hear the radio version of this story.
A fourth person has been confirmed dead from the fires raging in and around Gatlinburg.
Officials announced the fatality at a press conference this morning. They say they are still working to identify all of the deceased. The latest victim was found in a motel that was engulfed by the fire.
In addition to those killed, officials say 45 people have been taken to hospitals for treatment. That includes three adults being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Gatlinburg's fire chief says 200 firefighters are currently on duty combating blazes. Eight new fires were discovered overnight, mostly brush fires.
Rainfall could help extinguish the fires, but it's also complicating search and rescue efforts, officials say. The area is also experiencing small mudslides on slopes where there's no longer any brush to hold the ground in place.
Gatlinburg remains under a mandatory evacuation order. Roads into the city are still closed, though officials say they'll be re-evaluating the situation throughout the day.
Officials thanked people for the financial and emotional support Gatlinburg has received this week. But the Red Cross asks that no more in-kind donations, such as food and bottled water, be sent for the time being. The head of the relief effort in Gatlinburg says the organization no longer has any way to store them.
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