Fire forced a partial evacuation at Boynton Terrace Apartments on Saturday morning.
The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 6:32 a.m. and responded with six fire companies to 951 Boynton Terrace.
The firefighters located the fire on the fourth floor, in room 4205. No one was in the room at the time, so the firefighters had to force their way in. Once inside, they found a mattress on fire and quickly extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported.
As a precaution, the entire fourth floor was evacuated. The residents on the floors above were instructed to shelter in place. This is a seven-story building.
Captain Lesley Morgan with the Fire Investigation Division said the cause of the fire appears to be accidental, most likely from careless smoking on the bed. The loss was listed at a few thousand dollars.
Firefighters ventilated the building and eventually allowed the residents to return to their apartments.