CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. --
Firefighters battled a large fire Wednesday in Clarksville in the Tylertown subdivision area at about 11:30 a.m.
By the time the fire was out, six homes were damaged: Three houses were burned in the 3000 block of Nadia Drive, and the siding melted off of three other homes.
"I ran down there and found part of the back deck in flames," said neighbor Jennifer Culpepper. "There was a couple of neighbors out. I yelled at them to call 911, and I just started beating on their doors, because we thought somebody might be home."
Fire officials said there was no one in any of the homes.
"When my wife called me a little over an hour and a half ago, I left Gate 3 to Tylertown. I could see the smoke coming from post. Coming home, I could see two homes engulfed, but due to the smoke, I couldn't tell if any more homes were engulfed," said Sgt. Kelly Hudgins. "When I showed up and spoke with my wife, I could see the home next to mine completely engulfed. I was worried with the wind direction, my home could be next."
"We have received initial reports. Possibly one person in a home that was really damaged was just deployed recently," said Assistant Fire Chief Ray Williams.
A row of animal cages formed as neighbors made sure their pets were clear of the fire.
"This just happened so quickly, I mean, so fast. With the wind and everything so dry, it happened so fast," Culpepper said.
While fire crews doused the last of the flames, Hudgins said the neighborhood is ready to help.
"We've gotten to meet some people from this unfortunate accident, and we're here to help. Everyone that's here; We're here to help," said Hudgins. "As Americans, it's just what we should do."
Fire officials said while no residents were injured by the fire, one firefighter was transported to Gateway Medical Center, reporting heat exhaustion.
The city of Clarksville doesn’t have a fire station in the area. Because of the long response time, the other two houses caught fire, and the first one burned to the ground.
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