A fire destroyed a house and an adjacent building on Chamberlain Avenue early Saturday afternoon.
Chattanooga firefighters responded at 1:10 p.m. to a reported fire at 2002 Chamberlain. Upon arrival, firefighters found flames coming from the roof of the structure.
A second alarm was immediately called. Firefighters initially did an interior attack, but changed to an exterior attack due to the possibility of the ceiling collapsing.
The fire did spread to the adjacent building, causing severe damage to it.
The owner of both structures, Robert Gross, told firefighters that he was awakened by a noise, went to the rear of the house and found his gas water heater on fire. He said he tried to put the fire out, but it was too far gone and he left the house.
The preliminary indication is that the fire did start at the water heater. No one was injured in the fire. The estimated loss is around $60,000. The home was insured, but the building was not.
Engine 5, Ladder 5, Engine 4, Engine 15, Ladder1 and Squad 1 responded to the fire.
Chattanooga Police, Chattanooga/Hamilton County Rescue, Hamilton County EMS and the Red Cross also assisted.