The worst of the fires are out near Gatlinburg, but search and rescue operations continued Thursday for those believed to still be missing, officials said.
Seven have died in the blaze that swept into the Great Smokey Mountain resort town Monday night, fueled by strong winds.
Many parts of Gatlinburg remained off limits on Thursday. Residents are anxious about homes and businesses there as the true extent of the damage remains unknown. The town will be reopened to residents early next week on a limited basis.
Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller told reporters gathered at a staging area on Thursday that several days have now elapsed since the fire flared. As time passes, the hopes of finding survivors dwindles.
"We're still in a search and rescue operation," Miller said. "I will always hold on to hope, but we're in hour 65 of this."
More than 100 phone calls have streamed into a hotline set up for people searching for friends and loved ones. Officials are following up on 70 leads, although it is unclear if those translate onto missing people.
The number of those injured in the fire has grown, from 53 on Wednesday to 75 on Thursday.
While Wednesday's rain has helped tamp down the worst of the fires, officials cautioned Thursday that some hot spots may remain. The precipitation hasn't been enough to eliminate the effects of a longstanding drought.
Some 200 firefighters remain in the field Thursday
In nearby Pigeon Forge, some popular tourist attraction were reopening as life began to return to normal. The theme park Dollywood was set to reopen Friday.
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