Arson Suspected In Mobile Home Fire

Firefighters responded to a mobile home fire on Sunday in Cocke County. The home is located on Whitlock Road in Newport. Initial statements from bystanders stated that there was possibly someone inside the home, but that turned out to be not true. Cocke County deputies through investigating determined that the mobile home had recently changed ownership, was being worked on and cleaned out. 63 year old Emma Britton stated she was given the mobile home by the owner of the park she just pays for space rent on the land. She was told early Sunday morning stating “Karma has a wonderful way of working”. Emma Britton’s son, who lives one street over and believes that others may have been upset that his family got the trailer and not them. Britton stated there was no power t the home and she had been cleaning it out and had not been inside it since last Thursday. She also stated there is nothing inside the home that she believes could have started the fire. The Cocke County Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire, but the mobile home is considered a total loss. Arson is suspected and the Cocke County Sheriff’s office has called the TBI in to investigate.