The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:30 PM

Knox Firefighters Struggling In Battle With East Knox House Fire Early Tuesday

Rural Metro battled a fire on Howell Road Tuesday morning.

Officials said the house was fully involved when they arrived on scene before 8:00 a.m..

Crews asked anyone who may be driving in that area to avoid Howell Road as they shuttle fire trucks up and down to fight the flames.

Firefighters said the home was abandoned with boarded up windows and doors. There was power still attached to the building but no one living in the house.

The biggest challenge for crews was water supply. Water tankers from Rural Metro as well as Blaine Vol Fire Department were dispatched to help haul water from as far away as 3 miles.

Water availability from hydrants is a struggle in the rural areas of Knox County so tankers have to be deployed to haul it in.

Investigators were on the scene and the cause had not yet been established.