Oak Ridge Today

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…]

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…]

Two serious crashes, one fatal, reported in Anderson County on Monday

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Two serious crashes, one of them fatal, were reported in Anderson County on Monday, authorities said.

The first two-vehicle crash was reported at about 9:30 p.m. Monday on Yarnell Road near East Wolf Valley Road. Three people were injured, and all three were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville by ambulance, said Mark Lucas, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy.

The second crash, a fatal crash, was reported at about 10:45 p.m. Monday on East Wolf Valley Road near Nolan Lane. The car ran off the road and hit a home, Lucas said. One person was killed, and the other was transported to the UT Medical Center. [Read more…]

Woman escapes injury, drives away from fake officer with knife

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A 49-year-old woman escaped injury on Monday night when she drove away from a man who pretended to be a police officer but pulled a knife after stopping her on Yarnell Road near Clinton, authorities said.

It’s the second report of a police impersonator in Anderson County this month.

The woman was pulled over by the man at about 9:45 p.m. Monday on Yarnell Road off East Wolf Valley Road, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said.

“He approached the victim and asked for her driver’s license,” Lucas said. “He then pulled a knife, and she immediately drove away and called 911.”

In this case, the descriptions of both the suspect and his car are different from the previous incident. The suspect in the Monday night incident was described as a white male in his mid- or late-20s to mid-30s, six feet tall, 200 pounds, clean-shaven, with a muscular build and short dark brown hair. He reportedly spoke with a soft voice. The suspect was well-dressed wearing dark civilian clothing (not a uniform) and had a badge on his belt. The victim did not see a firearm, Lucas said. [Read more…]