Apartment Building, Residential

Maryville, TN – Grease fire in sixth floor apartment put out by sprinkler system

Residents of Maryville Towers said they were able to return to their apartments Friday night after being evacuated earlier in the evening because of a grease fire on the top floor.  The apartment complex, located at 220 McGhee St., Maryville, was partially evacuated around 6 p.m. after a grease fire started on the sixth floor.

Firefighters said they responded to the building at 5:46 p.m. While the sprinkler system extinguished the fire, the water continued to run until authorities were able to locate a valve to turn it off. That was done around 6:25 p.m.

Maryville Fire Capt. Mike Davis said about 63 apartments were evacuated. No injuries were reported.  Residents told The Daily Times on Saturday they were allowed back into their apartments Friday between 10:30 and 11 p.m. They said a Maryville Housing Authority maintenance crew had to clean up several flooded apartments.  Davis said apartments all the way to the ground floor sustained water damage.

Dianna McCullough was one of the ground floor residents who had flooding in her apartment. She said workers did a good job cleaning up. “It was flooded all the way to the bathroom,” McCullough said. “… They did a really good job coming in and helping.”

McCullough said there were at least four people mopping up her apartment.

Firefighters said the fire started in apartment 618. Residents said everyone, including the male occupant of 618, was able to return to their apartments.

Davis said 15 firefighters and seven trucks from the Maryville and Alcoa fire departments responded. The Maryville Police Department, American Medical Response ambulance service and Blount County Rescue Squad also responded.

Davis said firefighters remained on scene until around 8 p.m.