KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Editor's Note: This story was corrected after including the incorrect address of the house fire. It was also edited to clarify that only one person was arrested for the fire.
Rural Metro Fire and the Knox County Sheriff's Office responded to a house fire on Chestnut Ridge Road in North Knoxville around 4:30 a.m. Monday. When crews arrived the house was completely engulfed in flames, according to Rural Metro.
"Typically, houses just don't catch fire and burn and get fully engulfed with flames that quick. They burn over time until they vent themselves and then the fire spreads a whole lot faster," said Jeff Bagwell, the Rural Metro Fire public information officer. "It usually indicates that fire has been burning a while for it to get to that point, or it had some help along the way."
It was thought that two people were still inside the home. One person was located and arrested at the scene, according to KCSO. They identified the person as Sidney David Whitsell, 40, from Knoxville. Whitsell was arrested by the Knox County Sheriff's Office's Fire Investigators and charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated arson.
For more information on why Whitsell was arrested, click here.
The second person, a woman, was originally unaccounted for. Rural Metro later said that woman was found.
They also said the investigation into the fire was ongoing.
Water supply was the biggest hurdle for crews because they had to shuttle water from a hydrant several miles away, according to Rural Metro.
"We had a driveway that was up a steep hill, as well as no fire hydrants anywhere around it," Bagwell said. "Luckily, we had some assistance from Anderson County. They brought a tanker from Claxton and, I believe, it was a water tanker from Clinton."
In the meantime, there was another obstacle. The driveway of this house was at an incline and because this is in a rural area, roads were making things even more difficult.
Each time they refilled they faced another hurdle.
"We were going up a hill anyway and then we had to turn back and go up another hill to go to a driveway," Bagwell said. "I can only get half of the water out of the truck, or maybe two-thirds of the water, I can't really maximize all the water that's in that fire truck."
There have been no fire department injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
For rural areas, Bagwell said, there are a few important tips for safety to prevent injuries from a house fire. Houses can be rebuilt, but people are irreplaceable, he said.
"Having working smoke detectors, making sure that your family has an escape plan and they know how to get out," Bagwell said.