Suspicious Fire Guts Historic Fort Sanders House

Suspicious Fire Guts Historic Fort Sanders House

June 20, 2003

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A fire gutted a three-story, historic home in Knoxville's Fort Sanders neighborhood Friday morning.

The house, nicknamed the "Pickle House," at 1633 Clinch Avenue has been converted into an apartment building. It was built in 1889 and named after Tennessee State Attorney George Pickle.

Firefighters say the blaze, that broke out around 6:45 a.m., left the top two stories a total loss. The bottom floor has mostly smoke and water damage.

Three apartments currently had residents. But the only one home was a UT student, Tara McParlin, who lived on the first floor. She wasn't inside when the fire started because she'd gotten up to go jogging.

"I was on the porch and I stood on the railing trying to figure out where smoke was coming from. While I was looking around, the guy across the street was screaming, 'It's on fire! It's on fire!'"

"It was just smoke when I came outside and then real quickly like there were flames shooting out the windows and everything else," she adds.

Knoxville Fire Department spokesman Charlie Barker says 45 firefighters responded to the call. "Actually, we were able to get the fire under control inside of about 30 to 35 minutes, which for this house, with the amount of the fire, was a very good job."

However, investigators say they're suspicious of the fire. "Anytime a fire was able to get this large, this fast without somebody noticing, it usually means that it's been intentionally set," Barker explains.

The Red Cross was also quick to respond to the scene. John Jarrard, a disaster services volunteer, gave Tara McParlin a stuffed bear. "We find that a bear, which I give mostly to children, everybody likes them. Everybody feels comforted by it, just having a bear to hold."

No other structures in Fort Sanders were damaged.

McParlin was able to get her pet dog from inside the house, along with many of her damaged belongings.

Barker says the investigation into the fire's cause continues.