UNICOI, Tenn. (WJHL) — Lia Dunning was first alerted that something was amiss at her Unicoi home by her supervisor at work.
“They have a policy that you can’t have your phone,” Dunning told News Channel 11. “A supervisor came over and said I had to go home for an emergency, and I checked my phone and the EMS and the fire department had been trying to call me.”
Dunning owned the home and lived there with her son, her roommate, Amy McKnight, and four children that she cared for.
Crews from the Unicoi County Fire Department arrived at the scene around 10:30 a.m. to respond to the fire. When they left around 3 p.m., all that remained standing was the Plantation Road home’s chimney.
Dunning said her first reaction arriving at the scene was to search for her pets–three cats and three dogs.
She said she’s still looking for two dogs that she suspects escaped from the home, a Pitbull mix and a Great Dane.
“They’re going to be scared as hell because they’ve never been out of the yard,” said Dunning.
A spokesperson from the Town of Unicoi said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The spokesperson urged citizens to call Unicoi County Dispatch at 423-743-1850 or Unicoi County Animal Control at 423-743-3071 if they see any animals that look lost.
The Red Cross was on scene at the fire working to help the residents find temporary housing.
Friends of Dunning’s tenant, McKnight, have set up a Gofundme to help the family recoup the loss of their possessions in the fire.
