KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — People in North Knoxville sat on their porches or stood on the streets and watched as Fort Loudon Waste & Recycling burned.
"To have this in your front yard is pretty incredible," said Allyson Clair.
Clair made herself a front row seat to watch the fire, pulling two lawn chairs onto the sidewalk of Radford Place.
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"Well I was in my backyard and I heard a boom and happened to look up in the sky and see a large plume of black smoke," said Clair.
A few blocks down on East Burwell Avenue, Sharon Bell heard and saw the same from her house closer to the plant
"I called [my son] I said Shane is that close to our house? He said right behind us," said Bell.
Family from across the area called to make sure she was okay.
"The smoke, I mean, my cousin called from Straw Plains and he said he could see it there," said Bell.
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People sat outside and watched as cars drove in from all over to get a closer look at the smoke.
"People were over off of Clinton Highway coming over here to see what all of this was about," said Clair.
Everyone stayed outside for hours, taking in the destruction.
"It's kind of spectacular and creepy all at the same time."
Clair and Bell did not evacuate, but down the road closed to the fire on Morelia Avenue, Cheryl Austin didn't have a choice.
"We're displaced. They did let us in to get our medicines and our clothes," said Austin.
It's the last thing Austin wanted to deal with -- who's already suffering from a tragic loss in her family.
"Get back in our home, and get our son buried," she said.
She had just gotten back from the funeral home when she learned they would have to evacuate. Austin said police told her it could be a few days before she's back in her house.
"I just hope they get this mess straightened up so we don't have to deal with this," she said.
Until then, neighbors will keep watching the flames burn from down the road.
"I pulled some chairs out and am just sitting here watching all the chaos," said Clair.