Sharps Chapel Volunteer Fire Department

SCVFD was dispatched to assist Union County EMS with a reported ATV accident in the area of Helms Ferry Road on Friday Evening, August 19, 2022 around 9:30pm. 

The caller told 911 dispatchers they heard the accident and calls for help. When emergency units arrived, they found that four people who had been riding a golf cart were injured after the golf cart overturned in a curve,

SCVFD assisted EMS with patient care as a second med unit was called for to help with transport to the hospital.

After evaluating a four patients three were taken to UT Hospital for injuries sustained in the accident. One was serious with head injuries. One of the patients was a small child.

The Union County Sheriff’s department investigated the incident and the group was in from out of state visiting relatives.

On Sunday, July 17, 2022 around noon, Sharps Chapel Fire Department was requested by Claiborne County to assist with a fire of a large house boat at the Cedar Grove Marina in New Tazewell at Norris lake. Engine 51 responded to the scene to assist Claiborne County units on the scene. The fire was contained and no injuries were reported. Apparently the boat was docked at the fuel island of the marina and had just got fuel when the fire started. An explosion was reported at the scene. The area was evacuated and an investigation was underway.

On Sunday morning, July 17, 2022 around 12:42 am the Sharps Chapel Volunteer Fire Department was called out to assist with a vehicle accident on Leadmine Bend Road just past Shoffner Road.

Engine 54 arrived on the scene to find that a 2000 model Mazda pickup truck had struck a tree in the roadway that had fallen across telephone lines blocking the roadway.

Units from the Union County Rescue Squad and Union County EMS also responded to the scene, where the driver was found to have serious injuries from the accident.

The male teenage driver was loaded and transported to the hospital by Union County EMS for injuries sustained in the crash.

SCVFD stood by on the scene with Union County Sheriff’s Deputies until the vehicle, tree and utility lines were cleared from the roadway.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol worked the accident.

On Thursday morning, July 14, 2022 around 7:26am, Union County 911 dispatch received a call of a camper fire in the Lakeview Boat Dock Campground in Sharps Chapel.

Sharps Chapel Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene. Engine 51 arrived on the scene at 7:33am to find that 2 campers were involved with heavy fire and other campers were in danger. Engine 52 arrived along with mutual aid units from Northeast Union and Paulette VFD’s to assist. Maynardville VFD staged a unit in the area on standby during the incident.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze with a total loss of 2 campers and major damage to a third camper.

SCVFD Chief Chris Upton advised that according to the resident of the first camper, he was asleep when he heard a loud hissing noise coming from the kitchen area. He said when he got up to check the sound he found smoke and fire coming from the wall behind the refrigerator unit and, as he exited the camper, the fire flashed over into the carport knocking him to the ground. No one was at home in the other campers and thankfully no one suffered any major injuries from the blaze. Chief Upton said luckily no one was injured and this could have been a lot worse if the fire had not been contained as quick as it was. Upton said this fire is believed to have started from an electrical malfunction in the refrigerator unit which is a combination of electric and gas powered unit. Two vehicles, four Jet Skis and a golf cart was also destroyed in the blaze which were under the carports of the 2 campers units.

Fire units were on the scene for a few hours checking for hot spots and mopping up the scene.

Chief Upton said he greatly appreciated the help of the other departments who assisted with the fire.