Planned Parenthood clinic in Tennessee deemed ‘total loss’ after catching fire

A Planned Parenthood in Knoxville, Tennessee, burned down early Friday morning.

The Knoxville Sentinel reported as follows;

Fire crews were called about 6:40 a.m. as heavy smoke was coming out of the back of the structure, Assistant Chief Brent Seymour said. There were no injuries to report. The building was being renovated and the clinic had not been used in some time. Seymour said it’s too early in the investigation, with parts of the building unsafe to enter, to be able to say what caused the fire.

Once crews arrived the fire already engulfed portions of the building and flames were coming out of the roof, Seymour said. The lead commander determined a defensive operation was the best way to fight the fire, meaning no one was sent inside the building, he said.

“The building is a total loss,” the fire department wrote on social media. “The fire is currently under investigation. Further information will be released as the investigation continues.”

Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi told the Washington Examiner the building had been under renovation since December 7 and as of Friday evening, it had not received any additional information or confirmation from the authorities regarding the cause of the fire.

Planned Parenthood released a statement on its main social media account saying “our thoughts are with” staff, neighbors, and firefighters who responded to the fire.