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Body of woman, children recovered in Gatlinburg wildfire

CENTERVILLE, Ohio — The bodies of a mother and her children burned in the wildfires in Tennessee were recovered, extinguishing a grandfather's hope that his family was safe.

Chloe and Lilly Reed, the granddaughters of Grant Reed, as well as his daughter Contance Reed, were found dead following the wildfires in Tennessee.

“With profound sadness that is now a part of my soul I am sorry to share the passing of Constance, Chloe and Lily,” Grant Reed, of Centerville, Ohio, wrote on Facebook. “Please continue to pray for my son Michael and his son Nicholas.”

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Saturday was the fifth day Grant Reed’s daughter-in-law Constance and his granddaughters — Lily, 9, and Chloe, 12 — were missing.

The Sevier County Sheriff's Department told the family it was apparent Constance had been fleeing the fire on foot when she died, according to WHIO-TV affiliate WVLT-TV. She and her daughters became separated from her husband, Michael Reed.

Constance Reed’s mother told WVLT-TV she was told there were two bodies found around Constance. They have not been identified as the daughters by officials, but the family has confirmed the deaths.

The Reeds' church established a fund for the family.

“We received confirmation through the Sevier County Sheriff’s Department that the body of Constance has been discovered,” said pastor Phillip Morris, of Parkway Church of God in Sevierville, Tennessee. “We appreciate the outpouring of love from around the nation and specifically here in Sevier County. Your strong support means so much, and this family is going to really need your support even more in the days and weeks to come.”