Eight residents have been displaced following an apartment fire Thursday evening, November 12, in Knoxville.
According to Knoxville Fire Chief Cal Wyman, the Knoxville Fire Department was dispatched around 5:38 p.m. to a reported structure fire in the 200 block of East Pleasant Street. While crews were responding, Marion County Dispatch reported visible flames and smoke coming from an apartment unit. It was initially unknown whether all occupants had safely evacuated the building.
Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the entry doors and windows on the northeast side of the two-story apartment building. A working fire assignment was requested, and crews immediately began suppression efforts while additional firefighters searched the building for occupants.
The fire was extinguished within approximately 10 minutes after firefighters began their attack. Search crews confirmed that no residents remained inside the building.
During the search, firefighters also rescued two cats, one dog and one bird from other apartment units.
Crews then completed overhaul operations and ventilated the building to remove smoke and other combustion products.
The apartment where the fire originated, along with its contents, sustained significant fire damage. Other units experienced varying degrees of smoke and water damage.
The preliminary determination of the fire’s cause is improperly discarded smoking materials.
Marion County Emergency Management is working with the American Red Cross to help the eight displaced residents secure temporary shelter and other essential needs.
The Knoxville Fire Department acknowledged the assistance of the Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville Rural Fire Department, Indiana Township Fire Department, Marion County Emergency Management Agency, Marion County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch, Pella EMS, Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy.
Fire officials thanked all responding agencies and organizations for their cooperation and assistance during the incident.
Source: Knoxville Fire Department press release issued November 12, 2026, from Chief Cal Wyman.
