Oak Ridge family of five loses home, escapes injury

A family of five escaped injury Sunday evening when a fire destroyed their Emory Heights neighborhood home.

The house fire started about 5:15 p.m. when a grill on the porch caught fire, setting fire to the porch and house of William and Heather Franklin at 123 Clifton Circle.

Fire Department reports said the Franklins were grilling on the porch when they noticed the grill appeared to be burning. They tried to put out the fire using portable extinguishers, but the fire continued to spread onto the wooden porch and side of the house.

Fire Chief Darryl Kerley was reportedly the first firefighter on the scene and he said the basement was filled with heavy black smoke.

“It appears the fire had extended to the basement through the outside wall and floor trusses under the deck area and also into the attic through the soffit and dormer window,” the chief wrote.

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