Fire Crews Respond To Multiple Fires

A mobile home in Newport was deemed a total loss after firefighters extinguished a blaze that broke out at the home Saturday morning shortly before 1 am. The mobile home on Brookfield Drive belonged to Shirley Collins. She told police investigating the fire that she had been having issues with the home’s HVAC unit and was inside the home when she saw flames coming up through the floor vents. Collins stated that she and a friend at the home tried to put the fire out, but were unsuccessful. The Cocke County Fire Department arrived and put the fire out, but fire crews say the home is a total loss.

Fire crews had to respond to another fire, this one happening early Monday morning on Old US Hwy 411. 58 year old Diane Owenby suffered minor urns as she attempted to get out. Owenby stated that she was in the structure when 29 year old Colby Shelton walked in with what turned out to be a jug of gasoline. She told him to take it back outside as it was a fire hazard with the wood burning stove. Owenby stated a little later Sunday evening the fire in the stove had burned down allowing it to get cold inside. She says that is when Shelton came back in with the jug and threw it into the wood stove, setting the stove and structure ablaze. According to Owenby, Shelton walked out and slammed the door behind him. When she tried to get out, the door would not open. She stated that her second try to get the door to open, she had to run through the flames but was able to get outside. Colby Shelton has been charged with aggravated arson.