Rural Metro Fire responded to a house fire in South Knoxville around 9 a.m. Friday.
Crews arrived to find heavy fire on the second floor that also extended into the attic, Jeff Bagwell, a public information officer for Rural Metro Fire, wrote in an email.
Neighbors said the house had been empty for three years and most of the windows were boarded.
The house is located at 1213 Spruce Street in the county section of South Knoxville.
"Rural Metro Fire spent a lot of energy protecting the nearby exposures to ensure that those houses were not damaged," Bagwell wrote.
Significant smoke could be seen as crews were on scene to put out the fire.
The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.
10News will continue to update this story as we receive new information.