Crews respond to Knoxville Planned Parenthood fire

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Knoxville Fire Department crews responded to a fire at the North Cherry Street Knoxville Planned Parenthood around 6:45 a.m. Friday morning. When crews arrived, they reported “heavy fire” coming from the building and began working defensively on the flames.

“710 N. Cherry street is fully involved. Companies are defensive at their time,” KFD officials said. A post on the Planned Parenthood website lists the location as under renovations.

The location has previously been the target of vandalism. In January, police reported that a suspect had used a shotgun to shoot out the front windows of the building. While officials cannot confirm the cause of the fire, they did tell WVLT News that an arson investigator was on the scene.

Planned Parenthood representatives released a statement on the fire, calling it a huge loss for the community.

KFD officials said in a press release following the fire that the building is a total loss. WVLT News spoke with a witness to the fire, Catherine Moirai, who said she has already written a $1,000 check for the organization to begin repairs.

Moirai said, “I will support them with whatever way I can and do whatever I possibly can.”

KFD said the fire is still under investigation and could take a couple of days before a cause is determined.

ATF is helping with the investigation since it has national interest, according to KPD.

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