Former King's Truck Stop destroyed by fire

Nita Johnson, The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.
·1 min read

Apr. 25—SOUTH LAUREL — A missing person and an injured Corbin City firefighter were among the concerns of first responders as they battled a fire at the former King's Truck Stop building off Interstate 75's Exit 29 on Monday afternoon.

The abandoned building was being used by a homeless population, according to the press release from the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, with one person being unaccounted for as of Monday night. That person, however, was located on Tuesday morning although officials continued to search through the remains of the building as a precaution.

A Corbin City firefighter was injured during the fire and was flown out by medical helicopter to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington.

The Corbin City Fire Department released the following statement on Tuesday morning regarding the firefighter's injuries:

"Captain Eric Philpot of Corbin Fire Department sustained minor injuries during a large commercial structure fire on Monday. He was flown to the University of Kentucky Medical Hospital for examination and was released several hours later with no restrictions; expecting to make a full recovery."

ATF agents and the State Fire Marshall's Office were expected to arrive at the scene on Tuesday to conduct their investigation. No known cause of the fire had been determined by press time.

West Knox Fire Department, first on scene, had requested assistance from all available departments from across the area. Many responded to the scene to battle the blaze that was still smoldering on Tuesday.

Laurel County Sheriff's officials monitored traffic into GoTime fueling center and other businesses along the area as fire trucks entered and exited the building to fill up as the blaze raged.