KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Division of Forestry reported crews were battling a wildfire in the Choto Landing area on Tuesday, near Duck Cove Drive.
Jeff Bagwell from Rural Metro said the fire was 100% contained by 9 p.m., and said although some structures were threatened earlier in the day, crews put in measures to protect buildings. The Division of Forestry said a crew of around 19 personnel were responding to the fire. Bagwell also said crews would set "backfires" in the fire line to eliminate any fuel left behind.
He said trees and timber inside the fire line could continue to burn until rain comes.
Bagwell confirmed the fire had grown to around 24 acres large. He said the terrain around the fire was steep and hard to access, causing issues when firefighters tried to contain the wildfire. Crews are accessing the fire through the woods and over a nearby river using a Knox County Rescue boat equipped with a fire pump.
He also said crews used a dozer to dig a fire line around the fire from the edge of the water on one side to the edge of the water on the other side, to prevent it from spreading. Bagwell said it was fueled by heavy leaves and underbrush, and said while fire may still burn within the fire line line crews were confident it would stay within the bounds.
Crews fight wildfire in Choto area on Nov. 14
He also said no evacuations were ordered as of 9 p.m. He also said five fire companies responded, with several other off-duty personnel responding.
"Fires just don't start by themselves. Please, PLEASE understand there is a reason why officials plea for folks to not start fires outside. Please heed the warnings as the burn ban will probably continue into tomorrow. This even includes camp fires not within protective barriers," Bagwell said in a statement.
Additional information about the fire, such as its cause, was not immediately available. This story will be updated when more information is available.