Green Acres Flea Market buildings not up to code leading up to ‘huge fire’: officials

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A “huge fire” broke out at Blount County’s Green Acres Flea Market on Alcoa Highway Saturday night, according to Blount County Fire Deputy Chief Jerry Phillips. We now know more information about the status of the buildings.

Multiple crews responded to the scene around 8 p.m. Saturday to fight the fire, which spread across Flea Market-owned buildings. Several of those buildings were destroyed, but no one was hurt, besides a firefighter who got overheated.

More information has come to light concerning those buildings, however. According to Blount County building code officials, several of the buildings were listed as unsafe, and people were barred from entering. The county cited the buildings for not being up to international fire and building codes and causing fire safety concerns, specifically that they’re “dangerous to human life.”

WVLT News found posted warnings on surviving Green Acres buildings, labeling the buildings as unfit for occupation. Blount County officials said it was up to the owner to bring them back into code, which never happened.

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Those warnings, according to the county, came earlier this year.

Additionally, City of Alcoa officials told WVLT News that water and electric had been cut off at some of the buildings owned by the flea market. They were only able to confirm buildings with accounts through the City of Alcoa, but said that electric was cut off in March and water in April.

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