Smoke that filled Moore Hill Road home traced to Corbin City Utilities

West Knox firefighters were called out to a home on Moore Hill Road Tuesday that had filled with smoke only to learn that the source of the smoke was Corbin Utilities.

Firefighters were called to 394 Moore Hill Road at approximately 10:20 a.m.

Chief Darryl Baker said upon further investigation, firefighters learned that Corbin City Utilities workers had been “smoking the lines.”

Ron Herd with Corbin Utilities explained that utilities crews put smoke into the sewer lines in an effort to find cracks that may be permitting additional water to get into the lines. That additional water may overtax the sewer line’s capacity in the event of heavy rain.

Herd said all drains inside a residence have a trap that is designed to prevent the backflow from the sewage system.

However, when those traps dry out from lack of use, such as a sink or tub that is not frequently used, the traps no longer stop gases from coming up through the pipes and getting into the residence.

“It can allow odors to get into the residence, or, in this case, smoke,” Herd said.