Early Morning Fire Destroys Garage Apartment on Tazewell Pike

Early Tuesday morning, a fire erupted in a detached garage apartment located on Tazewell Pike, prompting swift action by the Knoxville Fire Department and causing a temporary shutdown of part of the road. According to a statement obtained by WATE, two individuals residing in the apartment managed to escape the blaze unharmed. KFD spokesperson Mark Wilbanks indicated that the fire, which began just before 5:00 A.M. in the 4300 block of Tazewell Pike, left the garage apartment a total loss.

KFD crews arrived and found the garage apartment fully engulfed. An exterior attack was mounted due to the sizable fire preventing entry. The road closure persisted until shortly before 8:00 A.M., when Tazewell Pike was reopened, as reported by WATE.

In the meantime, the Fire Department conducted overhaul operations to ensure the fire was completely extinguished and to assess the scene for safety. WVLT shared that Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks confirmed both occupants of the apartment made it out safely, and that KFD investigators were actively working to determine the fire's cause.

The Knoxville Fire Department, warning about the road closure and advising motorists to avoid the area, issued an alert through its official X account, as captured in a post by Knoxville Fire. The garage housed several cars and presented an additional risk factor for the firefighters tackling the inferno. As of the latest updates, the cause of the fire remains under investigation, and further details have yet to be released.