CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - A suspicious fire in Clarksville destroyed a home and killed a dog and three cats all while the owners were on vacation.
Clarksville firefighters responded to the 600 block of Linda Lane early Sunday morning. They thought they were there to put out a car fire but ended up battling a large house fire instead.
"While they were extinguishing the two vehicles one of the crew members went around doing a size up and discovered a fire in the basement of the structure," said Deputy Chief Howell Albright.
The firefighters thought they had the fire under control but then heard a series of explosions coming from a different part of the house.
"All of the sudden there was a massive explosion. The entire structure was fully engulfed in flames. Fire crew members were pulled out of the structure and went to a defensive mode of attack to try to contain the fire and keep it from spreading any further," said Albright.
It took nearly 10 hours to fully extinguish the flames. Albright said there was a 29-year-old man house sitting for his parents at the time of the fire. He was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and was expected to make a full recovery.
The family's dog and three cats died in the fire.
No word yet on what started it.
If you have any information regarding this fire, you are asked to contact the Clarksville Fire Marshal at 615-645-7456.
