A fire investigator is still trying to determine what started a fire Saturday night that destroyed a large, two-story house at 5070 Gann Store Road.
The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 8:47 p.m. and responded with several fire companies. Captain Talley Glover with Quint 19 said he could see the blaze several miles away soon after he left his station on Brunswick Lane in Hixson.
As they arrived on the scene, the entire house was fully engulfed in flames. In fact, Captain Glover said part of the roof was collapsing as the firefighters charged their hoselines to begin attacking the fire. It was clear to the firefighters that the fire had a good head start and the house was going to be a total loss, officials said.
Captain Leston Rorex, the Incident Commander, said the firefighters concentrated their efforts on containing the large blaze and preventing it from spreading to neighboring houses. The residents of the house, Dr. Jim O’Connell and his wife Pam Collins, were not home at the time of the fire. Captain Rorex said two pet dogs most likely perished in the fire.
Captain James Whitmire with the Fire Investigation Division said the cause of the fire is undetermined and under investigation. The dollar loss was estimated in excess of $400,000.