Fire leveled a home on Foreman Road in the early hours of Friday morning and required response from multiple fire departments as crews worked to get the blaze under control.
According to the Macon County 911 computer aided dispatch report, a neighbor called in the fire at 4:38 a.m. and described “loud popping noises” and the smell of smoke coming from the property at 275 Foreman Road.
The first Highlands Fire and Rescue units were dispatched at 4:42 a.m. and arrived just two minutes later to find the home completely engulfed in flames.
“When we arrived on scene the structure was fully involved,” Highlands Fire and Rescue Chief Ryan Gearhart said. “We were able to get the fire knocked down, but the structure will be a total loss.”
In the CAD report, the first fire department unit on scene noted that the loud popping sounds heard by neighbors were coming from power lines being down in the yard of the residence.
According to Gearhart, the residence was unoccupied at the time of the fire and there were no injuries as a result of the blaze.
“The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” Gearhart said. “Fire investigators will be at the scene this week working to determine an exact cause.”
Along with crews from Highlands Fire and Rescue, Highlands EMS, Macon County EMS, Highlands Police Department and Scaly Mountain Fire and Rescue provided mutual aid at the scene.