Pigeon Forge Fire Department adds dash cameras to firetrucks, improving how crews respond to calls

VIDEO: Firetrucks in Pigeon Forge now have dash cameras, recording how crews respond to calls and helping them improve how they approach emergencies. Fire Chief Tony Watson said crews and fire department leaders can watch videos to learn how to better fight fires. He said the cameras cost around $130,000 and they help expand the station's training opportunities. "A picture's worth 1,000 words," he said. "I don't think there's a better thing that we can do than to be able to share some of the stuff that we're seeing out here on a daily basis." He said the videos can help save the lives of firefighters, making sure they approach emergencies prepared with vital information. "We can look at how we position our apparatus. We can look at the actions our firefighters do. You got to tell them, 'Okay, this is non-punitive, we're not gonna get you in trouble. Let's talk about how we can do this better,'" he said.
WBIR-TV NBC 10 Knoxville

Rude awakening: Tree falls on Chattanooga Fire Department station

PHOTOS: It's not the kind of wake-up call Chattanooga firefighters are used to. But at least they didn't have to go very far for this one. No one was hurt when a tree fell on Station 16 on Lupton Drive early Thursday morning, according to the Chattanooga Fire Department. A post on the department's Facebook page says: "The firefighters were shaken at first, but no one was injured". Right now it's not clear exactly how much damage the tree caused to the station. But the Chattanooga Fire Department tells us "Station 16 remains open and in service following the incident as repairs get underway."
WTVC-TV ABC/FOX 9 Chattanooga

TDOT: Tractor-trailer fire closes two lanes of I-40 West in East Knox County

VIDEO: The Tennessee Department of Transportation said I-40 West was temporarily closed at around 10:45 p.m. Eastern Time, as crews responded to a tractor-trailer fire near Midway Road in East Knox County. By 11 p.m., TDOT said two of three lanes were blocked due to the vehicle fire. The department also said traffic was backed up a few miles. Images shared by a TDOT spokesperson on social media showed a FedEx trailer had caught fire, melting some of the shipping container's walls. Additional information, such as the circumstances surrounding the fire and whether any injuries were reported in it, was not immediately available.
WBIR-TV NBC 10 Knoxville

Backyard fire hits propane tank, sparks house fire in Mt. Juliet

VIDEO: What started as a fire in the backyard quickly spread and hit a propane tank at a Mt. Juliet home on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Mt. Juliet Fire Department. MJFD said the fire started in the backyard at about 2:30 p.m.. It’s unknown what sparked the flames. It quickly spread and hit a propane tank. Neighbors told WSMV4 they heard a large explosion and called 911. Firefighters said the fire spread to the attic and the rest of the house. A small portion of a nearby neighbor’s house received some damage. No one was home at the time of the fire. No injuries have been reported.
WSMV-TV NBC 4 Nashville