Firefighters in Karns had a busy Tuesday morning as they responded to a blaze that affected multiple homes. According to the WVLT, the Karns Fire Department rushed to the 1700 block of Hickory Reserve Road after getting a call at about 10:45 a.m. Karns Fire Department Chief Daron Long described the first house catching fire due to unknown causes, which then spread to a neighboring property, possibly pushed by the potent winds prevalent that day.
Further details emerged as four homes ultimately suffered damage in the incident. As Chief Long revealed, two homes were struck by the initial fire, while the pair of adjacent properties endured residual heat damage, thankfully spared from the flames themselves. The crews were successful in extinguishing the fires around 1 p.m., with no injuries reported amongst the ruins.
The assault of the elements was noted by Karns Fire Department Training Captain Kendall Ross, who said that one house at 1732 Hickory Reserve Road was "80% engulfed in flames" when they arrived. WBIR highlighted the role of the strong winds, which not only aggravated the fire onto an adjacent house but also switched directions, leading to the destruction of another home's garage.
Whilst the cause of the fire remains uncertain, the Knox County Sheriff's Office's Fire and Explosives Unit has taken on the case. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected!" was voiced by the KCSO, as shown by the report from WBIR. Supplementing this narrative, a neighbor chronicled the event as well: Tim Abshagen captured a striking image of the two primary homes enflamed, side by side, which WBIR recounted in their coverage of the disaster.
