Standard Knitting Mill building catches fire
The Standard Knitting Mill complex northeast of downtown Knoxville caught fire Sunday, sending flames and billowing smoke high into the sky.
The Knoxville Fire Department said on its Twitter account it was on the scene on Washington Avenue, and fire vehicles rushed to the mill from across the city just after 6 p.m.
Shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday, crews had responded to a fire at the mill and saw several people running from the building, the department said in a news release. Three people were detained, and the department said crews quickly extinguished what appeared to be a piece of furniture on fire.
Fire burst out again at the site Sunday evening and quickly advanced.
Knox News reported last year that a proposed development at Standard Knitting Mill was delayed, and possibly shifting focus.
A proposal included a mixed-use development with multifamily housing, retail and an office component, but developers said a company was interested in locating its headquarters on the site.
Knoxville has a strong history of textile mills over the centuries, and the Standard Knitting Mill had the "most staying power," according to Knox Heritage.
The company was founded in 1900 and produced cotton ribbed underwear.
"Eventually employing almost 4,000 people and producing over a million garments per week, it would earn Knoxville the title of 'Underwear Capital of the World,'" Knox Heritage wrote.
This report will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville fire today: Standard Knitting Mill catches fire downtown
