United States (Tennessee) - Firefighters had a brief scare at the scene of an early morning house fire in West Knoxville when flames reached ammunition stored inside. The Knoxville Fire Department responded at 7:46 a.m. today to 117 Herron Drive in the Forest Heights neighborhood after the resident awoke to the smell of smoke and ran to a neighbor's to call E-911, according to KFD Capt. D.J. Corcoran.

Arriving firefighters were blocked from entering the house by clutter inside, where the fire appears to have started in a front bedroom, he said. After repeated attempts to gain entry, fire crews attacked the flames from the outside as the fire spread into the attic and breached the roof.

"At one point, ammunition stored in the home began exploding, giving firefighters a slight startle in light of the recent Webster, N.Y., incident," Corcoran said.

That incident, which occurred in the Rochester, N.Y., suburb last month, left two firefighters dead and two others injured when a gunman set fire to a house, then ambushed the emergency responders.

No injuries were reported today at the Forest Heights house fire. Corcoran said he heard approximately 15 rounds explode within the span of about 8 minutes.

The home appears to be destroyed, he said. The Red Cross was called to assist the resident.

Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Corcoran cautioned residents to keep areas around electrical outlets clear of clutter. He also said to never leave heavy objects sitting on power cords, which can reduce the flow of electricity, creating friction and heat.

Additionally, the fire captain advised residents to keep ammunition stored in a cool, dry place, such as a metal box.

Written by Knoxville News-Sentinel

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