KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Fire Department said a large fire broke out at a Tamko Building Products facility in North Knoxville on Wednesday, prompting nearby roads to close.
The fire department said Wednesday evening that New York Avenue at Louisiana Avenue and Johnston Street at Louisiana Avenue would be closed until the scene is clear. KFD said the fire was located at 2506 Johnston Street.
It said crews were dispatched at around 3:07 p.m. on Wednesday when flames and smoke could be seen from the nearby interstate. The fire department said the fire started near the facility's main building.
However, the flames were contained to the "cardboard pad," according to a release from KFD. The main building did not suffer any damage and the nearby Norfolk tracks were still open, the fire department said.
The release said crews were expected to stay on scene and would work through most of the night. KFD expects the fire to burn for several hours because of the heavy volume of cardboard, and how tightly it is packed. The fire department said additional crews were on the scene with equipment to move piles around so they could be more easily extinguished.
KFD said it does not yet know what caused the fire.