Cooking Fire Leaves Four Homeless

Battalion Chief Fredrick Blake said smoke and flames were visible when the first firefighters arrived on the scene. The four residents in the duplex had all escaped the fire without injury. The firefighters were able to contain most of the flames to the kitchen area on one side of the duplex. The dollar loss was estimated at around $20,000.

The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental, most likely from food being left unattended on the stove. Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee were called in to assist the displaced family with temporary housing.