A combination barn/one bedroom apartment on the property of country music entertainer Billy Dean on Dale Lane off Dale Ridge Road was destroyed by fire Friday afternoon.
County Fire Chief Donny Green told WJLE that a neighbor saw the smoke and called 911.
According to Chief Green, a farm worker, who lived in the apartment, had left around 12:30 p.m. and was gone when smoke from the fire was spotted about an hour later.
Firefighters found the structure fully involved in flames when they arrived. No one was there and no one was injured. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Chief Green said the barn housed two John Deere tractors, ski boat, and miscellaneous power tools. Again, the structure also housed a furnished one bedroom apartment.
Members of the Liberty, Main Station, and tanker truck of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with the Sheriff’s Department.
Firefighters were called out again on Saturday to James Place in the Lakeview Mountain Estates area where a brush fire rekindled and spread.
Chief Green said Brian Casselberry had obtained a burning permit and had burned some brush on his property. He remained with the fire until it was out and then began cutting some wood. After being outside for a couple of hours, he entered his home to take a shower and discovered that fire had rekindled when he came back out. The blaze spread to the neighbor’s property belonging to Roger Dale Bailey, burning a vacant mobile home and five abandoned vehicles which were apparently inoperable. The fire also burned about five acres of woodland.
Members of the Cookeville Highway, Short Mountain Highway, and Main Station of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded along with the Tennessee Division of Forestry.
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