(pictured: Greg Williams from B97.5)
A Knoxville radio dj and his family are sleeping in hotel rooms after fire destroyed their home Sunday afternoon.
“We have smoke alarms. They went off, but still, that fire went fast. It’s unbelievable how fast it went through the house,” B97.5’s Greg Williams told Volunteer TV. Williams had just gotten home from work when something sparked on his front porch.
“I saw all the flames and I stopped for a moment to think about putting it out, but I just got in a ‘get-’em-out’ mode and we did. Got all the dogs out. All the kids out,” Williams said.
“The house has heavy fire damage in the front. Downstairs and upstairs in the structure and there’s smoke heat and water throughout the entire structure,” Brent Seymour the Knoxville Fire Department Spokesman said.
Williams says he returned to find his family still asleep Sunday morning and nothing was turned on. They have no idea what started the fire; and they don’t want to think what could have happened if Dad had not come home when he did.
“Everything you see on television, about people walking through burning buildings– nah-ah. It’s black smoke. You cannot breathe it,” Williams explained.
The family of seven is safe but their home is a loss beyond repair.
“It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be hard. You know, it’s…” Williams trailed off, looking over his shoulder at his burned up home. “We’re moving.”
One of the children was treated for smoke inhalation after he ran back inside after his dog. He didn’t have to go to the hospital.
A couple of cats and a guinea pig died in the fire.
via [source]
