Fire threatens homes off Old Walland Highway

Smoke covered parts of Townsend Monday afternoon, April 1, as firefighters from multiple agencies fought to contain a brush fire that threatened multiple homes by the Little River. The blaze was about half contained by press time Monday.

There were no injuries reported by press time.

Townsend Area Volunteer Fire Department Chief Don Stallions said the fire covered about 50 acres at around 6:30 p.m. His department called in members of the Blount County Fire Protection District, Alcoa Fire Department, Friendsville Volunteer Fire Department and the Tennessee Division of Forestry to help combat the blaze. Blount County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Townsend police officers also were at the scene.

“Our main concern is structure protection,” said Stallions.

Flames were visible from East Lamar Alexander Parkway at about 4:30 p.m. Less than half a mile away at the Townsend/Sunshine Covered Bridge, people gathered to watch the smoke drifting down the Little River.

About 10 homes were threatened at the onset of the fire, according to Stallions. Firefighters initially responded at around 3:30 p.m. to the region between Lovers Lane and Old Walland Highway. The fire, he said, burned right up to some of the houses in the area.

Although Stallions never gave an evacuation order, he said some occupants self-evacuated out of caution. Not all of the homes were in the clear by press time, but he said the department was “in a much better situation” with no structures in immediate danger.

The Blount County Sheriff’s Office took to Facebook that afternoon, warning drivers that Old Walland Highway was closed between the bridge and Walnut Loop.

Stallions said firefighters were working to stay between the fire and structures, with AFD stationed at the top of the mountain near Lovers Lane and the rest of the departments working at the base. Two bulldozers with the Department of Forestry, he said, were working to carve a roughly 50-acre containment circle.