A Chattanooga man is listed in critical condition after being severely burned in a house fire early Sunday morning.
The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 3:02 a.m. and responded to 1901 E. 25th St. with four fire companies.
Officials said there appeared to be three people in the house at the time of the fire. Two of them, both female, got out of the house uninjured, but an adult male was the last to come out and he was severely burned in the process.
One of the female residents told Lieutenant Henry McElvain with the Fire Investigation Division that she started cooking something on the stove, but fell asleep. When she awoke, the kitchen was engulfed in flames. The flames quickly spread to a living room before the firefighters could get the blaze under control.
The victim, identified as Willie Melson, 33, reportedly ran out of the house on his own and collapsed on the sidewalk. Chattanooga firefighters administered medical aid to Mr. Melson, and moments later he was rushed to Erlanger Medical Center by paramedics with Hamilton County EMS.
The victim reportedly has third-degree burns to approximately 70% of his body.
Lt. McElvain said he will list the cause of the fire as accidental. He said the physical evidence confirms that the fire was started by food being left unattended on the stove.
The American Red Cross was called in to provide assistance to the victims. Chattanooga police also provided valuable assistance on the scene.