On Sunday morning, the Knoxville Fire Department was called to a commercial fire at Wheels Auto Sales. The fire was located in the 6200 block of Chapman Highway and crews were dispatched shortly after 9:30 a.m. Firefighters arrived at the scene and began fighting the fire, but faced challenges reaching the bulk of it due to the large number of items stored within the building.
Crews had to clear a path to locate where the majority of the fire was, which added to their difficulties in getting it under control. However, despite these obstacles, they managed to get the fire under control within 20 minutes. Unfortunately, due to not having sprinklers or alarms installed in the building, significant fire damage occurred.
One firefighter received minor injuries on the scene and was treated immediately by his colleagues. The southbound lanes of Chapman Highway were partially shut down as a result of this incident, causing traffic delays in the area as of 11 a.m. TN Smartway advised caution and suggested avoiding this area if possible until cleanup and investigation continue.
The cause of this fire is still being investigated by authorities, and assessments are being made regarding its extent of damages. Overall, this incident was a significant challenge for Knoxville’s emergency services team who had to act quickly in order to contain it before it spread further causing more harm than necessary.
