Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Saturday Fire Deemed Arson
A fire that destroyed a home in Summertown late Saturday is said to have been intentionally ignited.
Deputies with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to the 1076 North Brace Road address around 9:30 p.m. When they arrived, they report members of the Summertown Fire Department were already battling the blaze.
The reporting deputy indicates he walked to the rear of the home where he found that holes had been cut into the metal siding. At one such hole, he said, he could detect the smell of diesel/gasoline.
Firemen report that when they arrived the back porch was burning and a rear door had been propped open with a chair. Before they could investigate further, however, the propane tank on a grill exploded, causing the fire to spread.
A relative told deputies that the resident was on vacation in the mountains at the time. Also, deputies were unable to make contact with owner Ramona Smith who resides in Antioch, Tennessee.
Loss as a result of the fire is estimated to total $30,000.
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