No injuries were reported in connection with a house fire Monday night at 1145 Mountain Creek Road, though the residents were home when the fire started.
Barbara Hassler told firefighters that she was on the phone when she started smelling smoke. When she looked around, she saw huge flames outside the kitchen window on the back deck.
Ms. Hassler alerted her husband and they reportedly tried to put the fire out with a garden hose before giving up and calling 911.
Chattanooga firefighters received the alarm at 9:49 p.m. and responded with five fire companies. When Quint 17 arrived on the scene, Captain Ralph Sparks said flames were shooting through the roof of the two-story, brick home. As additional fire companies arrived, the firefighters attacked the fire from all sides, eventually getting the blaze under control in roughly 50 minutes.
Battalion Chief Mike Baronavski said a propane tank next to the house presented a real hazard and some firefighters had to keep a hoseline on the tank to keep it from exploding.
No injuries were reported, though paramedics with Hamilton County EMS did offer to transport Mr. Hassler to a hospital for observation. Mr. Hassler declined the offer.
Ms. Hassler said a passing motorist got her car out of the garage before it was destroyed, but most of their belongings were lost. The dollar loss was estimated at $250,000. Captain James Whitmire with the Fire Investigation Division said the fire appears to have started under the back deck, but what exactly sparked the blaze remains undetermined and under investigation.
Firefighters with Squad 2, Quint 19, Quint 16 and Engine 22 were all involved in the firefighting operation. Chattanooga police also provided assistance on the scene.