An early morning fire in North Chattanooga has left eight people without a home.
Danny Whittle told firefighters that he was working on his computer shortly before 3 a.m. Wednesday when he began to smell smoke. When he went to investigate, he discovered the rear of the house was on fire.
Mr. Whittle said he first tried to put the fire out himself with a garden hose, but, when that failed, he alerted the other seven occupants, including four adults and three children, and called 911.
The Chattanooga Fire Department responded to the alarm at 419 Bell Ave. with four fire companies.
Engine 12 was the first to arrive on the scene. Captain Lisa Roberson confirmed that all of the occupants were out of the house, and then had firefighters pull a hand-held hoseline to begin attacking the fire. Additional firefighters with Quint 1, Quint 2 and Squad 1 arrived moments later, and together they got the fire under control in about 12 minutes.
Capt. Roberson said the firefighters later found a small puppy in the basement. They administered some oxygen to the puppy and turned the pet over to its owner.
Mr. Whittle said the house had two smoke alarms, but he didn't think either one of them worked.
Capt. Roberson said the cause of the fire appears to be accidental, though what exactly sparked the blaze remains undetermined.
The loss was estimated at around $150,000.