Hoarding hinders firefighters at house on Cedar Lane
May 6, 2024; 2:08 p.m.

Firefighters working a fire on Cedar Lane in North Knoxville. Image by KFD

KNOXVILLE - This morning at 11:35 AM, Knox County 911 received an advising that their neighbor's home was on fire. The neighbor reported the fire to be at 2004 Cedar Lane.

On arrival at KFD, crews found smoke coming from the front of the home. As crews attempted to enter the house, they were met with a very heavy amount of stockpiled items throughout the entire structure. This made attacking the fire extremely difficult and dangerous for the firefighters on the scene.

KFD crews made the decision to cut two large openings in the front and side of the home to better access the fire.

Once crews could access the bulk of the fire, they were able to extinguish it. Due to the heavy content in the home, crews were required to conduct an extensive overhaul and needed to cut an additional hole in the roof to access the attic space.

The home has suffered considerable damage due to the fire and firefighting efforts.

One adult male occupied the home. The male was able to escape uninjured.

The home did not have working smoke alarms.

The American Red Cross is assisting the male occupant.

Knoxville Fire Investigators are on the scene, working to determine a cause.