Oak Ridge Today

Police, fire respond to serious crash at Emory Valley Road, Lafayette

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Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive Crash Jan 13 2017

The intersection of Lafayette Drive and Emory Valley Road was closed Friday evening, Jan. 13, 2017. after a serious crash that required multiple ambulances. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story has been updated. Please see newer story here.

The intersection of Emory Valley Road and Lafayette Drive is closed as authorities investigate a serious crash Friday evening.

There were, at one point, four ambulances at the crash site, although it’s not clear if they were all used. The Oak Ridge Fire Department and Oak Ridge Police Department both responded.

The crash was reported at about 5:15 p.m. Friday. [Read more…]

Man surrenders after allegedly holding 9-year-old girl hostage

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New York Avenue Man Surrenders Jan 12 2017

A man surrendered to Oak Ridge police after allegedly holding a 9-year-old girl hostage on Norton Road for about 1.5 hours on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:15 p.m.

A man who had allegedly taken a nine-year-old girl hostage and was armed with a rifle when police responded to a family disturbance peacefully surrendered to Oak Ridge police officers after about 1.5 hours of negotiations on Thursday, authorities said.

The child was rescued, and the armed suspect was taken into custody, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

No injuries were reported after the man, later identified as Robert Foreman, 36, of Oak Ridge, surrendered. Part of New York Avenue was closed Thursday evening as officers negotiated with Foreman and set up a perimeter.

Foreman’s relationship to the girl wasn’t immediately clear Thursday. His motive also wasn’t clear. [Read more…]

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department K-9s help with Gatlinburg search

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Anderson County Sheriff’s Department K-9s helped search Gatlinburg after forest fires fed by hurricane-force winds raged through that tourist town and areas around the Chimney Tops trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Wears Valley, and Pigeon Forge on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, burning 17,000 acres, killing 14 people, and damaging or destroying more than 1,700 structures. Pictured above is Deputy Candy Stooksbury and her K-9 partner Barnabas. (Photo by ACSD)

 

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Candy Stooksbury and her K-9 partner Barnabas, a specially trained bloodhound, have helped in the search efforts in Gatlinburg after forest fires fed by hurricane-force winds raged through the tourist town last week. Corporal Rick Coley and K-9 Justus, and Deputy Matt Forsyth and K-9 BamBam, have also helped.

The deputies and K-9s helped the Knoxville Police Search And Rescue Team and the Tennessee Highway Patrol in the search, rescue, and recovery mission, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said Tuesday.

Other local agencies also responded to the fires, including Anderson County EMS and fire departments in Anderson County. (See this previous story for more information.) The Oak Ridge Fire Department helped rescue 12 people trapped in cars surrounded by fires near the Dollywood theme park near Pigeon Forge. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge firefighters help rescue 12 people trapped in cars surrounded by fires near Dollywood

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People being removed from vehicles while Oak Ridge Fire Department crews helped respond to the Sevier County wildfire starting Monday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Photo by Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley)

People being removed from vehicles while Oak Ridge Fire Department crews help respond to the wildfires that raged across Sevier County on Monday, Nov. 29, 2016. (Photo by Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:30 p.m.

Oak Ridge firefighters helped rescue 12 people and four dogs from three cars surrounded by fires behind Dollywood near Pigeon Forge on Monday.

The 12 visitors had been staying in rental cabins behind the Dollywood theme park.

The rescue happened at about 11 p.m. Monday after wildfires fueled by high winds spread from Chimney Tops in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Gatlinburg area.

Before the rescue, an Oak Ridge Fire Department crew, along with five Maryville firefighters, had responded to several fire-related situations in Pigeon Forge, most of them in the Dollywood area, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. Pigeon Forge is near Gatlinburg.

At about 11 p.m., the firefighters were dispatched to Mitchell Road to help a man trapped in a cabin with fire all around him. But firefighters were unable to get there because the road was blocked by downed trees and power poles, the press release said. Firefighters began cutting trees until they encountered downed power lines and transformers.

Once Sevier County Electric System workers arrived and cut electrical power to the area, the crew again entered the fire area to rescue the man, the press release said. [Read more…]

Local fire departments send crews to help fight Gatlinburg wildfires

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Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers walked into areas of Gatlinburg that were surrounded by fire to remove those who were trapped by flames in fires that started Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. (Photo by THP)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:50 p.m.

Fire departments in Oak Ridge, Clinton, Oliver Springs, and Marlow sent crews to help fight the fast-moving wildfires that started burning in the Gatlinburg area on Monday.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department was helping crews in the area around Gatlinburg, a mountain town near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on Monday night, the City of Oak Ridge said.

Oak Ridge Police Department officers were also on standby, the city said.

Tuesday morning, firefighter Jordan Alcorn said it was a long night, but the Engine 2 crew was on Interstate 40 West headed home.

“Thank you all for the prayers and kind words, that fight is not over, so keep our relief in your prayers!” Alcorn said.

Later Tuesday morning, the city said Oak Ridge Fire Department crews were continuing to help battle the Great Smoky Mountains wildfire.

“There is massive damage and reports of people injured or missing,” the city said. “Please continue to keep everyone affected by this in your thoughts and prayers today.”

Also Tuesday morning, Clinton Fire Chief Archie Brummitt said the Clinton Fire Department was in Gatlinburg in Sevier County. One CFD engine and five firemen responded Monday night around midnight, Brummitt said. [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…]

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…]

Oak Ridge: Driver runs red light, crashes into school bus

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school-bus-crash-oak-ridge-turnpike-georgia-avenue-2-oct-19-2016

No students were injured in a school bus crash on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 19, 2016, when the driver of a car ran a red light and collided with the bus at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Georgia Avenue, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 6:10 p.m.

No students were injured in a school bus crash on Wednesday afternoon when the driver of a car ran a red light and collided with the bus, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

The crash was reported at about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Georgia Avenue. A preliminary investigation by Oak Ridge Police Department officers revealed that the driver of a four-door Volkswagen Passat sedan ran the red light, causing a collision with the school bus, the press release said.

There were three children on the bus at the time of the crash, along with the school bus driver. None of them were injured, the city said. [Read more…]

Emergency crews use boat to rescue injured mountain biker

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Emergency crews use a boat to rescue an injured mountain biker from Haw Ridge Park on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016. (Submitted photo)

 

Emergency crews used a boat to rescue a mountain biker with a broken ankle in Haw Ridge Park on Sunday, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Fire Department responded at 5:12 p.m. Sunday, October 16. Dispatchers had received a reported a man down on a Haw Ridge bike trail with a broken ankle.

The Oak Ridge 911 dispatchers were able to ping the caller’s cell phone and determine the approximate location of the accident, a press release said. They determined the biker was near the water on the southeast side of the trail.

Oak Ridge paramedics from Engine 3 and Rescue 1 began hiking to the incident while the rescue boat responded and was launched from Solway Park boat ramp. The ORFD boat located the patient within 25 minutes of the call, the press release said. [Read more…]

New rope rescue system helps save two people in one week

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rope-rescue

On Sept. 17, 2016, the Oak Ridge Fire Department was dispatched to help a woman with serious injuries who had fallen from a retaining wall in a back yard. First responders found the woman lying 60 feet down a slope in a wooded area. The rapid deployment of the rope system helped the fire crew and Oak Ridge police officers move the injured woman up the steep slope to the ambulance. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

In less than one week, firefighters have used new rope rescue equipment to save two lives in Oak Ridge.

The equipment was recently purchased for each Oak Ridge Fire Department engine, and crews just started training last month. The quick deployment 3-to-1 rope haul system is designed to move injured people up steep slopes or through confined spaces where it is difficult to lift or carry a person. In the last seven days, the department has used the new equipment twice.

On September 5, firefighters were dispatched to an unconscious person in an attic of a house. On arrival, the fire crew found a man lying in the 120 degree attic, disoriented and unable to move. The crew rigged the rapid deployment rope system and, in a matter of minutes, was able to move him through the roof trusses and down the attic access opening to the waiting ambulance crew. [Read more…]

9/11 photos: ORFD, ORHS dedicate new flagpole in memory of victims of terrorist attacks

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We will always remember those who gave their lives to save others on September 11, 2001. (Photo and caption courtesy Martin McDonald at Oak Ridge High School memorial ceremony and flagpole dedication on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016)

 

The Oak Ridge Fire Department and the Oak Ridge High School 9/11 WTC Committee unveiled a new flagpole on Sunday and dedicated it in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Sunday was the 15th anniversary of the attacks, which killed 2,977 people in New York City; Washington, D.C.; and outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Here are photos by Oak Ridge High School Principal Martin McDonald, shared here with his permission. [Read more…]

Pedestrian dies after being hit by car on Oak Ridge Turnpike

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The Oak Ridge Police Department investigated a crash between a car and pedestrian on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Wednesday morning, Sept. 7, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

An Oak Ridge man died after being hit by a car on Oak Ridge Turnpike on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Dimitrios Agouridis, 82, of Oak Ridge was struck by a 2010 Jaguar XT sedan in the westbound lanes between New York Avenue and East Division Road at about 6:53 a.m. Wednesday, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.

The car was driven by James Pemberton of Clinton, who was not injured in the crash, the ORPD said. [Read more…]