Tenn. Firefighter Hurt in Fall Off Ladder at House Fire

April 24--Investigators are working to determine what sparked the fire that destroyed a large, waterfront home in South Knox County and injured a Rural/Metro firefighter Tuesday evening.

Fire crews responded to the 6:15 p.m. call at 3748 S. Creek Road in the South Pointe subdivision to find "extremely heavy fire conditions," said Rural/Metro Battalion Chief Rick Herrell.

He described the house, which was built on a nearly 1.2-acre tract along the Stock Creek area of the Little River, as an "absolutely total loss."

Initial reports were that the back-half of the house was fully engulfed in flames, Herrell said. At one point, smoke could be seen from downtown Knoxville, prompting city fire crews to be dispatched in search of the source.

Rural/Metro crews attempted to access a room above the garage when the brick facade on the front of building collapsed. One firefighter was knocked off a ladder from a second-floor window to the ground, Herrell said.

The unidentified firefighter was transported by ambulance to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with minor injuries, the battalion chief said.

No one was home when the fire began. The homeowner declined to give his name when he arrived at the scene later. He said his pet cat was lost in the flames, while his dog was rescued from the backyard by a neighbor.

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