Smoking blamed for West Knoxville apartment blaze

KNOXVILLE Carelessly discarded smoking material apparently ignited a weekend blaze that displaced 35 people from their apartment building, fire investigators concluded.

No one was injured in the 9:27 a.m. Sunday fire at Bell Walker's Crossing, 8301 Block House Way, but flames rendered the 24 units in the building uninhabitable.

Firefighters arrived at the three-story building to find flames on second- and third-floor balconies that were climbing into the attic area.

Firefighters initially thought the fire had started on the third floor because that's where flames were most intense. Fire investigators, however, determined the flames began on the second-floor balcony of apartment 121, according to Knoxville Fire Department spokesman Capt. D.J. Corcoran.

"The fire then extended to the balcony directly above, and then into the attic area," Corcoran said. He was unaware if the person responsible for the fire was in the apartment when flames erupted.

Investigators have labeled the blaze as accidental.

As firefighters tried to douse the flames, a part of the third floor collapsed because of the construction, fire damage and water collecting in the structure.

The Knoxville chapter of the American Red Cross is helping some of the displaced residents.

More details as they develop online and in Tuesday's News Sentinel.

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Smoking blamed for West Knoxville apartment blaze