Woman, several animals dead after Knoxville house fire

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - An woman was found dead following a house fire in North Knoxville Thursday afternoon, according to officials with the Knoxville Fire Department.

Crews responded to a home on Northcrest Circle around 2 p.m. and found smoke coming from the home and fire in the living room.

Crews found the woman and several animals died in the fire.

“KFD units accessed the structure and extinguished the fire within 10 minutes of arrival,” Asst. Chief Mark Wilbanks said. “During firefighting efforts, a search of the structure was conducted, and a body of an unidentified person was discovered.”

KFD investigators determined that the fire was caused by a heater that was in use during the time of the fire. KFD officials also said that the smoke alarms in the home were not working.

“After a tragic event like this, we cannot stress enough the importance of working smoke alarms in your homes,” said Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks.

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