Oak Ridge Today

Petros fire updates: Few embers, smoke on Friday

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Jason O’Shell, right, leads a crew on a mountaintop in Morgan County, near Petros, on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. (Photo by Tennessee Department of Agriculture)

 

PETROS—A few embers and smoke remained on a mountaintop just north of Oliver Springs in Morgan County on Friday as a Tennessee Division of Forestry crew headed out for another fire reported in nearby Roane County, state officials said.

The firefighters, led by crew boss Jason O’Shell, worked the day building fire lines and backfiring to keep the Morgan County fire from spreading in an area frequented by four-wheelers, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture said. The crew was helped by a federal fire crew from western states.

Crews have been battling two blazes this week north of Oliver Springs, near Petros. The two fires have been about 12-16 miles northwest of Oak Ridge.

One fire, the Bald Knob Road fire, has been roughly east and northeast of Petros near the Anderson County-Morgan County line, in mountains east of Highway 62 and south of Highway 116. Crews first responded to that fire on Sunday. Since then, it has grown to 1,173 acres. It’s an arson, and it’s 100 percent contained, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry said Friday afternoon. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge volunteer collecting supplies for firefighters

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Oak Ridge resident Tom Giles collects supplies for firefighters at High Places Community Church on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

An Oak Ridge volunteer is collecting supplies for firefighters as they battle forest fires across East Tennessee.

Tom Giles set up three days in the past week at High Places Community Church in Grove Center. He has more donation dates scheduled at the church from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, December 3, and Saturday, December 10.

Here are the items needed: water, Gatorade, small packs of peanut butter crackers and cheese crackers, energy bars, beef jerky, etc. Last Saturday, he said the items should not melt. For example, a chocolate snack could melt in a firefighter’s pocket.

On Friday, November 25, Giles said Oliver Springs Fire Department is providing support to fires burning near Petros, north of Oliver Springs.

“If supplies are depleted, we may need to mobilize a donation date before our December 3 event,” Giles said. “I am in contact with officers from OSFD and will provide updates as needed. Thank you for support.” [Read more…]

Arson suspected in Little Brushy fire near Petros

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Arson is suspected in the Little Brushy forest fire that has burned 100 acres along Highway 62 a few miles south of Petros, authorities said Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016. The fire is above Petros-Joyner School and homes and businesses along Highway 62, near the intersection with Highway 116. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Arson is suspected in a forest fire that has burned 100 acres along Highway 62 south of Petros, authorities said Thursday.

The Little Brushy fire is in mountains above Petros-Joyner School near the intersection of Highway 62 and Highway 116 in Morgan County. It was 10 percent contained early Thursday afternoon, according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry.

Residents said they first noticed the fire, which is above homes and businesses along Highway 62, at about 11 a.m. Wednesday. The fire burned vigorously at about 5 p.m. Wednesday, and it blew heavy smoke across Highway 62, reducing visibility on a section of road between Petros and Oliver Springs.

It’s the second fire this week near Petros. The other fire, which firefighters started battling on Sunday, is called the Bald Knob Road fire. That fire is roughly on the other side of Petros and about five miles north of Little Brushy. It appeared to have started in mountains east and northeast of Petros near the Anderson County-Morgan County line in an area that residents call the Gillontine Trail.

The Bald Knob Road fire held at 790 acres, and it was 100 percent contained on Thursday, according to a fire update from the Tennessee Division of Forestry early Thursday afternoon. Arson is also suspected in that fire. [Read more…]

Two forest fires burn near Petros

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The Little Brushy fire burns on a ridge above Highway 62 near Petros-Joyner School and the intersection with Highway 116 on Wednesday evening, Nov. 23, 2016. The fire is a few miles south of Petros. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:15 a.m. Nov. 24.

PETROS—One forest fire that has burned close to 800 acres since Sunday had scorched down to the north side of Petros by Wednesday evening, and a second nearby mountain fire that residents said started Wednesday morning billowed smoke across a section of Highway 62 south of Petros, near Petros-Joyner School in Morgan County.

The first fire, the one that firefighters have been battling since Sunday, is the Bald Knob Road fire. It’s named for a road that runs east out of Petros. It had charred 790 acres as of noon Wednesday, according to the Tennessee Division of Forestry. The fire is a suspected arson, and it was 60 percent contained on Wednesday afternoon. On Wednesday evening, firefighters appeared to have set back fires, which they use to contain blazes, near several homes in Petros, including off Armes Road in north Petros.

That fire had grown from what was reported to be a few hundred acres on Monday, when it emitted a smoke plume that could be seen for miles, including in Oak Ridge, to about 450 acres on Tuesday. It had almost doubled in size by Wednesday. [Read more…]

Thanksgiving Traffic Safety: Buckle up every time, authorities say

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Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and more people on the road increases the likelihood of a crash and, perhaps, a fatality. These deaths represent needless tragedies for families all across America. But even more tragic is that many of these fatalities could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt.

Before you hit the road this Thanksgiving: “Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time.”

The national “Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time.” seat belt awareness campaign helps remind Thanksgiving travelers and all drivers about the importance of buckling up—every trip—every time.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is joining in a national effort to send Thanksgiving travelers an important lifesaving reminder to “Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time.” Sheriff’s deputies will be out this Thanksgiving holiday to keep the roads and highways safe. [Read more…]

Anderson County Sherif’s Department offers holiday crime prevention tips

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The busy holiday season is almost upon us and many people can become victims of burglary, theft, and other crime. Protecting yourself and your home from crime is the easiest way to have a safe, happy holiday season.

To help ensure everyone has safe and fun holidays, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department would like to offer the following tips for holiday crime prevention.

Shopping:

  • Park in lighted areas at night.
  • Always lock your car.
  • Don’t try to cover items on your seats. Put shopping bags in your trunk or take your packages straight home after shopping and then go back out.
  • Don’t carry large amounts of cash with you, or else, keep it in your front pocket—not in your purse or wallet.
  • Be extra careful when carrying a purse—they are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas. If you must carry one, make sure it has a strap that can go over the shoulder and be held under the arm, making them more difficult for purse snatchers to grab.
  • Keep a record of all of your debit and credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
  • Beware of strangers approaching you. This is the time of year when thieves may try various methods to distract you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

[Read more…]

Holiday Safety: Thanksgiving fire prevention

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Many families will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week, a holiday that tops the list when it comes to how many kitchen fires are called in to emergency dispatchers. The Oak Ridge Fire Department has some important reminders about fire prevention:

  • Always stay in the kitchen when you’re cooking.
  • Keep children at least three feet away from the stove or oven.
  • Be sure electric cords are not dangling off the counter.
  • Check your smoke alarms to be sure they’re working.
  • Keep the kitchen floor clear of items that may cause someone to trip.
  • Make sure the turkey is completely thawed prior to placing it into a turkey fryer.
  • Be sure not to have too much oil in the fryer in order to avoid the oil spilling out when the turkey is lowered into the fryer.
  • Do not use a turkey fryer on wood deck/porch or inside.
  • Never leave a turkey fryer unattended.

[Read more…]

Updated: Arson suspected in mountain fire emitting miles-long smoke plume

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Arson is suspected in a fire that has burned about 450 acres in mountain forests about five miles northeast of Petros, authorities said. Smoke from the fire is pictured above from Highway 116 in north Anderson County on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. The smoke plume could be seen for miles. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

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Arson is suspected in a fire that has burned about 450 acres in mountain forests about five miles northeast of Petros, authorities said. Smoke from the fire is pictured above from Highway 116 in north Anderson County on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. The smoke plume could be seen for miles. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

PETROS—Arson is suspected in a fire that started this weekend and has burned about 452 acres in mountain forests a few miles east and northeast of Petros, authorities said Monday.

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Man charged with aggravated assault after allegedly pointing handgun at two people

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David Janis

David Janis

 

An Oak Ridge man was charged with two counts of aggravated assault after allegedly pointing a handgun at two people near Tacoma Road and California Avenue on Thursday, authorities said.

One resident in the area said he he came outside his home to see who was in his yard at about 7:45 p.m. Thursday, and he saw a man with a gray hooded sweatshirt, black vest, dark pants, dark long hair, and a tattoo on his left cheek pointing a black handgun at him, yelling, “You hawked me, b—-, come to 122,” as he walked around behind a home on East Tennessee Avenue, according to a warrant filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court in Oak Ridge.

The resident feared for his life and ran back into his home and called 911, the warrant said. [Read more…]

One hospitalized for burns from kitchen fire

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One person was taken to the hospital for burns from cooking oil during a fire in Oak Ridge on Thursday evening, authorities said.

The structure fire on Brandeis Lane was reported at about 5:57 p.m. Thursday. There were reports of flames in the kitchen and one disabled person inside the residence, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

“The first units on the scene found that everyone was out of the home and assisted those occupants away from the structure,” the press release said. “The fire was out upon arrival with smoke still in the residence.” [Read more…]

Robbery that ends in shooting arranged through social media, described as ‘drug deal gone bad,’ warrants say

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The Tuesday afternoon shooting on East Holston Lane was allegedly a robbery arranged through social media, and it was described by the alleged shooter as a “drug deal gone bad,” authorities said. The three defendants are, from left, Nicole Brewer, 19, of Oak Ridge; Nicholas Strickland, 25, of Oak Ridge; and Matthew A. Mashburn, 27, of Knoxville. (Photos by Anderson County Sheriff's Department)

The Tuesday afternoon shooting on East Holston Lane was allegedly a robbery arranged through social media, and it was described by the alleged shooter as a “drug deal gone bad,” authorities said. The three defendants are, from left, Nicole Brewer, 19, of Oak Ridge; Nicholas Strickland, 25, of Oak Ridge; and Matthew A. Mashburn, 27, of Knoxville. (Photos by Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

 

The Tuesday afternoon shooting on East Holston Lane was allegedly a robbery arranged through social media, and it was described by the alleged shooter as a “drug deal gone bad,” authorities said.

The shooting, which injured Wesley Arnold of Peach Orchard Road in Clinton, occurred at about 12:58 p.m. Tuesday at 104 East Holston Lane. Arnold had two gunshot wounds, one to each leg. He was hit as he attempted to flee the East Holston Lane home, according to arrest warrants filed in Anderson County General Sessions Court by Oak Ridge Police Department Detective Marvell Moore.

After the shooting, three people were quickly arrested and charged with especially aggravated robbery, a Class A felony; aggravated assault, a Class C felony; and criminal conspiracy, a Class B felony. They are Nicholas Strickland, 25, of South Benedict Avenue in Oak Ridge; Nicole Brewer, 19, of Highland Avenue in Oak Ridge; and Matthew A. Mashburn, 27, of Knox Lane in Knoxville.

Brewer told Moore that she arranged the robbery, and she contacted Arnold, the victim, through a social media site to conduct the deal, Moore wrote in the warrants.

“She (Brewer) advised the drug deal was supposed to be a ‘rip,’ meaning there wasn’t going to be any money exchanged for the substance (methamphetamine),” Moore said. [Read more…]

Firefighters contain brush fire on ridge off Yarnell Road in Claxton

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Firefighters contained a brush fire of about two to three acres on a ridge above Yarnell Road just outside south Clinton on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016. Pictured above are two trucks with bulldozers from the Tennessee Division of Forestry. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 7 p.m. Nov. 17.

CLAXTON—Firefighters contained a brush fire on a ridge off Yarnell Road in Claxton on Wednesday night, authorities said.

The Tennessee Division of Forestry said the fire burned seven acres, and arson was the cause.

It was in a wooded area just outside south Clinton, said Dusty Sharpe, assistant chief of the Claxton Volunteer Fire Department. It was reported at about 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Most of the firefighters came down from the fire at about 9:40 p.m. Among those who responded were firefighters from Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department, Claxton Volunteer Fire Department, Clinton Fire Department, Marlow Volunteer Fire Department, and the Tennessee Division of Forestry.

Sharpe said the fire was contained, but it had a few hot spots that would continue to burn the next few hours. There was no damage to any structures, he said. [Read more…]