HAMBLEN TWP. — A local man and his two dogs are without a home after a fire broke out in their attic early Saturday morning on Richarts Road.
Fire departments were dispatched to a report of a roof on fire in the 8800 block of Richarts Road just after 12:30 a.m. Jan. 19, said Hamblen Township Volunteer Fire Department Cpt. Justin Griffith. By the time the first engine arrived, the second story was engulfed with flames showing through the roof, Griffith said.
The Red Cross was able to give the man clothes and some money, Hamblen Fire Chief Arlan Pierce said. The man and his dogs were going to stay with a neighbor.
Pierce said that the man’s smoke detector went off and that as he was getting out of the house, he met his neighbor, who had seen flames coming from the roof. Inside the home, the man had only seen smoke.
Pierce said he believes the fire started in the attic and that the cause could be electrical, but it is still under investigation.
One firefighter was injured after he fell off a porch due to “poor visibility,” Griffith said. Pierce said the firefighter was OK and was not seriously injured; he was treated by EMS.
Hamblen was assisted by the Fruitdale, Jackson Township and Brown County (Nashville) volunteer fire departments. Firefighters from Morgan and Johnson counties also assisted along with the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.
The Democrat is working to get in touch with the homeowner and will update this story if information is made available on how to help him.
