An East Lake family narrowly escaped with their lives Monday morning when fire broke out in their rented home.
James and Callie Bragg and their four children were reportedly asleep when the fire broke out. Mr. Bragg said his 10-year-old daughter woke to the smell of smoke and alerted him to the fire in the front living room.
Mr. Bragg got his wife and four children out of the house, and then tried to put the fire out himself using a garden hose from the front yard. Mr. Bragg told firefighters he fought the blaze himself for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, but the flames continued to spread.
Neighbors eventually saw the blaze and called 911 at 7:21 a.m. Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to 3013 12th Avenue at 7:23 a.m. and the first firefighters with Engine 9 arrived on the scene in roughly four minutes. Captain Leston Rorex with Engine 9 said most of the house was engulfed in flames, so they fought the fire defensively, trying to keep the flames from spreading to adjacent houses. Firefighters with Engine 5, Ladder 5 and Quint 14 joined in the operation.
No one was injured, but a pet dog perished in the blaze. No working smoke alarms were found in the house.
The house was considered a total loss, with estimated damages at around $35,000. The family did not have renter's insurance. Volunteers with the American Red Cross were called in to provide assistance to the victims. The adjacent homes sustained some damage to their siding, but were spared any significant damage.
Lt. Henry McElvain said the cause of the fire appears to be accidental, most likely from an electrical malfunction in the living room.