KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville Fire Department determined that the cause of the Spring Meadow Apartment Homes in East Knoxville was a discarded cigarette.
Officials said a cigarette was tossed into a flower pot, which was very flammable, and led to the fire that impacted eight units and 22 people in the apartment complex, KFD said in a press release.
“Although a flower pot might seem harmless, a single smoldering cigarette can turn its contents into a slow-burning fuse,” said Assistant Chief Mark Wilbanks. “Within minutes, that concealed heat can reach neighboring combustibles and erupt into open flame, as we saw last weekend.”…