By BILL JONES
Staff Writer
Two houses in different parts of Greene County were destroyed by fires of undetermined origin early today.
The first of the two blazes was reported at 12:55 a.m. at 12725 Horton Highway, according to Michele DeLotto, a spokesman for the Baileyton-based United Volunteer Fire Department.
A report filed by Deputy Sheriff Mark McLain listed the owner of the white frame house as unknown. His report said a Sheriff's Department fire investigator had been notified.
United VFD spokesman DeLotto said about 4 a.m. today that firefighters had been unable to learn whether the house was occupied at the time of the fire.
Brad Ball, the Department's chief, said responding firefighters found the house "fully engulfed" in flames when they reached the scene.
He said the house had electric power and some furnishings inside it. No vehicles were parked at the house when firefighters arrived, Ball said.
DeLotto said 10 volunteer firefighters and five trucks responded to the blaze and remained on the scene until about 3:30 a.m.
Holley Creek Road Fire
The second fire, according to a Greene County 911 dispatcher, was reported at 1:35 a.m. at 3129 Holley Creek Road. Dale Dodds, who was dispatching at 911 early today, said units of the Tusculum, Sunnyside and Camp Creek Volunteer Fire Departments were dispatched.
The house was "fully engulfed" in flames when the first firefighters reached the scene, according to Dodds.
Firefighters were unable to contact the property owner and initially were unsure early today if anyone had been inside the house when it burned.
But a sheriff's department dispatcher said owner Thomas Honaker was finally reached by cell phone in Alabama where he was remodeling a house.
Honaker was reported to be enroute to Greene County about 8:30 a.m.
Firefighters also recovered two safes from the ruins of the house and turned them over the sheriff's department, emergency radio transmissions indicated.
