KNOXVILLE, TN, USA—Authorities said there is nothing suspicious about a Friday morning fire that burst through the roof of East Tennessee’s only public Sikh gurdwara.
“This is the only public gurdwara (temple) in East Tennessee and it was the first public gurdwara in East Tennessee,” said Brandon Singh, music coordinator for the Sikh Sangat of East Tennessee.
Singh said the temple served several hundred Sikhs in East Tennessee, from Bristol to Chattanooga. He said 40-45 people regularly attended Sunday services.
Knoxville firefighters learned of the blaze shortly after midnight, early Friday, March 14, 2014, according to Knoxville Fire Department spokesman Capt. D.J. Corcoran. A neighbor reported flames at the temple at 704 Washburn Road off Sutherland Avenue.
When firefighters arrived, they found flames shooting through the roof of the gurdwara. Despite firefighters efforts, the flames had advanced too far, and most of the temple’s roof had collapsed, Corcoran said.
“Significant fire damage will delay the use of the structure for future worship services,” Corcoran said.
No one was injured during the incident.
“There’s not any foul play suspected,” Corcoran said. Fire investigators are expected to return to the scene Friday afternoon to determine the cause.
Corcoran said it appears the fire started “near an area of the structure used for storage.”
The Sikh sangat of East Tennessee obtained the building at Washburn Road in January 2011 for its services. The word sangat means congregation.
Singh said the Sikh sangat has been active in East Tennessee for more than 15 years. The sangat met in private homes before the public gurdwara was established on Washburn Road.
The temple is insured, Singh said, but the sangat leaders will have to meet to decide on a future path for the Washburn Road temple.
“There are some private gurdwaras in people’s houses, which is where we worshiped before we got the public gurdwara, so we’ll probably meet there until we get things settled,” Singh said.
Singh said he learned of the blaze early Friday morning when a neighbor called to say the locked temple was on fire.
“We’ve had great neighbors here at the temple,” Singh said.
