Early-Morning Fire Destroys Cross Plains Area Home Friday
CROSS PLAINS, TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – A home in the 8000 block of Bethlehem Road was destroyed by fire early Friday morning. MAP
According to Cross Plains Fire Chief Tommy Jackson, the home was already largely burned to the ground when firefighters arrived, the first call coming into 911 around 2 a.m.
“There wasn’t anything standing but one side of the wall,” Jackson said. “The only thing left was about four or five studs sticking up.”
Jackson described the approximately 1,200-square-foot home as a “100% loss.”
The resident was not home when the fire started. Jackson said the man had gone to a laundromat to wash clothes and returned after the home was already gone.
Jackson said there were reportedly cats inside the home and he believes some were lost in the fire.
Reports of explosions during the blaze were also explained by Jackson, who said the sounds were coming from a vehicle parked outside as its tires heated up and began popping.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. Due to the extent of the damage, the scene was turned over to the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office for investigation, Jackson said.
Jackson said crews faced some difficulty reaching the home because of the terrain and vegetation surrounding the property.
“It was a little rough getting back in there to it,” Jackson said. “We had to work around the briars and everything else to get from our engine back to the house.”
Despite the extensive damage before firefighters arrived, Jackson said crews were able to bring the remaining fire under control quickly.
“We had it knocked down with our engine and our tanker before the other agencies really arrived,” Jackson said.
Cross Plains firefighters were assisted by Greenbrier, Orlinda, White House Community Volunteer Fire Department, Robertson County EMA, Robertson County EMS, and the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office.
