Tennessee Firefighter Burned While Battling Blaze

A member of the New Market Volunteer Fire Department suffered minor injuries when a 120-year-old, three-story home burned Sunday afternoon.

According to Capt. Sammy Solomon, Britt Turner was taken by Jefferson County EMS to Jefferson Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released.

Solomon said fire personnel were notified at 4:54 p.m. of a fire at 148 Hamilton St. in Strawberry Plains and firefighters arrived four minutes later.

"The homeowner, Jerry Fields, said his wife heard a lamp pop, smelled smoke; and, when she got back into the living room, the curtains were on fire and flames were going up the wall," Solomon said. "They got out and by the time we got there, the house was fully engulfed."

The captain said Turner and Timmy Brooks, both volunteer firefighters, were on the third floor of the house when part of the ceiling fell down and some burning embers went down the back of Turner's coat and burned the back of his neck.

Solomon said there were no problems getting water to fight the fire, but the age of the home and architecture made it difficult to extinguish.

"It was an old house, they had double ceilings and double walls and fire got into it," he said.

The captain said 20 firefighters responded to the fire, The blaze was controlled in two hours, but the house was severely damaged. Fire personnel left the address at 10 p.m.

Copyright 2012 - The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service