Anyone hurt in Knoxville fire this morning?

[Luke E.]

I was coming through Knoxville about 5:45 this morning on my way back from New York and there was what looked like a large 4 story building consumed wire fire. They were putting water to it from all sides but looked to have their work cut out for them. Hope it was empty.

[Garufa]

Looks like that's the abandoned warehouses downtown, or what was left of them after another massive fire 5 or 6 years ago.

[Duck]

Looks like that's the abandoned warehouses downtown...

See, Obama is saving lives. Just think if there had been employees in there.

[bersaguy]

See, Obama is saving lives. Just think if there had been employees in there.

 

Yea but a bunch of folks that voted for him also may have lost their home also??????.............jmho

[Garufa]

See, Obama is saving lives. Just think if there had been employees in there.

 

They were abandoned before Obama was elected. 

[peejman]

Good riddance. Maybe they'll finally bulldoze it.

[Luke E.]

Good riddance. Maybe they'll finally bulldoze it.

Well Garufa said this wasn't its first time burning so surely two burnings will bring out the heavy equipment.

[Oh Shoot]

Well Garufa said this wasn't its first time burning so surely two burnings will bring out the heavy equipment.

 

I'm a bit surprised a big fire was even possible in the already gutted structures.

 

- OS

[Luke E.]

I'm a bit surprised a big fire was even possible in the already gutted structures.

 

- OS

 

 Well i'm not sure how gutted they were or were not but it was putting off a heck of a lot of flame.

[Oh Shoot]

 Well i'm not sure how gutted they were or were not but it was putting off a heck of a lot of flame.

 

They already looked like movie set facades to me. Obviously there was more internal structure than what met the eye though.

 

- OS

Edited February 1, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[Luke E.]

They already looked like movie set facades to me. Obviously there was more internal structure than what met the eye though.

 

- OS

 

 Low flash point brick? ;) if it looked like that before i'm anxious to see what you think after this morning.

[Garufa]

I'm a bit surprised a big fire was even possible in the already gutted structures.

 

- OS

 

They were not gutted.  Still had roof and floors, although I think one was still damaged from the last fire.

 

If you look here.....https://maps.google.com/maps?q=knoxville+tn&ll=35.967994,-83.922975&spn=0.001992,0.002068&hnear=Knoxville,+Knox,+Tennessee&gl=us&t=h&z=19 you'll see the two warehouses as they were before last night.  To the right you can see what's left of the two warehouses lost in the massive fire 7 years ago.

 

I believe the Philco building is gone now.  Pictures I saw show collapsed walls.

 

I went outside this morning at about 8:00 and there was a strong smell of charoal fluid or something similar.  Didn't know anything about the fire until later.  Fireman on the news said the floors in those old warehouses were often treated with kerosene and other oils to keep the dust down.  That's one reason warehouse fires like this are so intense, along with the fact that there's nothing but wood inside 4 brick walls. 

Edited February 1, 2014 by Garufa

[Oh Shoot]

They were not gutted.  ...etc

 

Thanks for the details, had no idea, I've walked that section of Jackson quite a few times, always thought they were about ready to fall down by themselves...

[peejman]

Thanks for the details, had no idea, I've walked that section of Jackson quite a few times, always thought they were about ready to fall down by themselves...

Would've been much cheaper in the long run if they'd bulldozed them years ago. Now they've spent $100,000 or more and risked life and limb fighting fires, only to bulldoze it later.

[Garufa]

Would've been much cheaper in the long run if they'd bulldozed them years ago. Now they've spent $100,000 or more and risked life and limb fighting fires, only to bulldoze it later.

 

It would have been better if they were renovated and saved years ago.  Many other cities have had great success with old warehouses.

[Luke E.]

It would have been better if they were renovated and saved years ago. Many other cities have had great success with old warehouses.

I agree 100%. There are TONS of very expensive very high end apt./condo/loft etc.... all around this country that were renovated and remodeled industrial buildings. Anything contemporary draws the bigs bucks if in the right area.

[Oh Shoot]

I agree 100%. There are TONS of very expensive very high end apt./condo/loft etc.... all around this country that were renovated and remodeled industrial buildings. Anything contemporary draws the bigs bucks if in the right area.

 

It's a block away from some of the most expensive downtown digs you can buy here, which to my understanding stay full occupancy. Most of them converted multi-storied buildings much the same as these.

 

Hell, even the downtown Y where I go, built in the 30's, the top two floors have been private residences for a good while now.

 

- OS

[vontar]

They were abandoned before Obama was elected. 

And thanks to leadership in job growth they stayed that way. 

 

:stir:

[Luke E.]

It's a block away from some of the most expensive downtown digs you can buy here, which to my understanding stay full occupancy. Most of them converted multi-storied buildings much the same as these.

 

Hell, even the downtown Y where I go, built in the 30's, the top two floors have been private residences for a good while now.

 

- OS

 

 

 :) I didn't take note of it's surroundings because what little alertness I had was used up on the burning building. BTW I wasn't driving at that point so no worries about me causing an accident. They can do some really neat stuff with those old building if they have enough capitol to get through the renovation. The apartment that we just moved my sister into in NYC wouldn't fetch $150 per month here in Murfreesboro but she was tickled to death to have it at $1,250 per month up there. It was an old building much like the burning one but lack a lot of the renovation that the nice ones you spoke about being in the area. It was 400sq' of filth when we got there but after almost a full day with a rough stiff bristled scrubbing and then mopping up whatever the brush broke up along with some paint, she was livable.