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Fire engulfs home, displaces a family of six in East Knox County

First responders said the owner called 911 after "the fire woke him up" with enough time for him and his family to escape.

A family of six in East Knox County lost their home New Year's morning after a fire broke out.

Jeffrey Bagwell with Knox County Rural/Metro Fire said crews responded to a call at 5631 Thorne Grove Pike east of John Sevier Highway.

Bagwell said the owner called 911 and said "the fire woke him up" with enough time to make sure his he, his wife and four children were able to escape. Bagwell said he wasn't sure if the smoke detectors or the fire itself woke him up.

The family was able to escape unharmed and the Red Cross is assisting them.

As with the string of fires last week, firefighters had to shuttle water from more than a mile away due to the absence of hydrants in the rural sections of the county. Crews said the dangerously cold temperatures were also a problem, as the water froze on the ground quickly and created a hazard for firefighters trying to salvage belongings from the home.

Bagwell said around 20 people and 8 units responded from Rural/Metro.

He's asking people to test and check their smoke detectors, or call the Knox County Fire Prevention Bureau at (865) 215-4660 to receive free fire detectors.

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