Officials believe ember in attic caused Putnam County fire that hospitalized one, caused ‘catastrophic damage’
Fire crews were on the scene for hours battling the flames.
PUTNAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WSMV) - One person was hospitalized and a home sustained “catastrophic damage” after a house fire Sunday in Putnam County.
The Putnam County Fire Department (PCFD) said that firefighters found a “single-story modular home with heavy fire showing from a bedroom window” when they arrived Sunday on Zeb Warren Road at about 3 a.m.
They started fighting the blaze from outside the home while they waited for more responders to arrive. Crews were on the scene for three hours “battling both the fire and extremely cold temperatures.”
“While the structure remains standing, it sustained catastrophic damage,” a press release said.
One person was taken to Cookeville Regional Medical Center to be treated for smoke inhalation from the flames, per PCFD.
Officials believe all of that damage could have originated from an ember.
“The fire is believed to have originated from a minor grease fire that occurred the previous evening involving the kitchen vent hood,“ the press release said. ”It is likely that an ember remained in the attic space, smoldering overnight before igniting the fire.”
Additionally, the fire department reported that although the home was equipped with smoke detectors, they were not functional.
The American Red Cross is supporting the displaced family in the wake of the flames.
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