Adamsville firefighters face extreme heat, thunderstorms while battling house fire

ADAMSVILLE, Tenn. — Adamsville volunteer firefighters were hard at work Monday, trying to get a handle on a house fire burning for nearly 10 hours.

Large flames and heavy smoke filled a home in the 300 block of East Main Street. Adamsville firefighters first arrived around 3 a.m. Monday.

“When we got here, the first truck found the back porch fully involved, and it had gone into the kitchen and it started working into the upstairs,” Fire Chief Kenny Newell said.

Although crews were able to get the fire extinguished, shortly after sunrise it rekindled.

“My guys have put in some hard hours,” Chief Newell said. “It was hot, right in the middle of a thunderstorm, lightning popping everywhere.”

Luckily no one was hurt. Chief Newell said a family recently moved out. “Had a few little odds-and-ends items still in the house, but nobody was inside.”

Alanna Pangborn lives nearby. She said the fire spread quickly. “That thing was just blazing up and it was combustions,” Pangborn said. “It was coming right underneath here, and all of a sudden it was the most spectacular thing. It just collapsed. It was wild.”

Chief Newell said it’s an old house, built in 1911, making it hard to knock down.

“The tin roof has really got us in a bind trying to get it put out,” Chief Newell said.

Fire officials used over 70,000 gallons of water to get the fire under control.

“Pretty much (will) be an all-day thing until we get under this tin to get it knocked down,” Chief Newell said.

Fire officials believe some sort of electrical issue combined with Monday morning’s thunderstorms led to the fire. The official cause is still under investigation.