Chattanooga firefighters were called to a house fire Monday around 9 p.m. in the Murray Hills subdivision.
Captain Chuck McMillian with Quint 6 said smoke was visible from the house's attic when his company arrived on the scene at 3731 Skylark Tr. The occupant of the home, Linus Meyer, was already out of the house, having been alerted to the fire by a neighbor.
The fire was extinguished by a combined interior and exterior attack. The fire actually broke through the roof before the firefighters managed to get it under control.
Despite the extensive damage to the roof, much of the house and contents below were spared. While firefighters worked to extinguish the fire in the attic, Captain McMillian had other firefighters place salvage covers (tarps) over the furniture and other furnishings to protect them from water damage.
The loss was estimated at around $30,000 to the structure and $5,000 on contents.
The cause of the fire appears to accidental. Captain McMillian said the fire appears to have originated in the vicinity of the fireplace chimney.