Deborah Revis has been identified as the woman who died in a house fire in Hixson on Thursday morning.
The Hamilton County Medical Examiner's Office told fire investigators late Friday morning that Ms. Revis, 52, died of smoke inhalation.
Capt. Lesley Morgan with the Fire Investigation Division said the cause of the fire appears to be accidental, apparently starting in a garbage can in the kitchen. What exactly happened next has not been determined yet, but Capt. Morgan believes Ms. Revis may have been trying to put the fire out when she succumbed to the toxic smoke.
This has been confirmed as Chattanooga's first fire-related fatality of the year.
Around 9:30 a.m., Chattanooga firefighters responded to the reported house fire at 3965 Fairfax Dr. Smoke was pouring out the front door as the firefighters rushed inside.
Capt. Jimmy Spurling with Quint 19 said the visibility was down to zero as the firefighters located the fire in the kitchen.
The firefighters had the flames out in roughly five minutes, but during the operation, the firefighters found a lifeless body on the floor near the entrance to the kitchen.
The firefighters quickly carried the victim out to the front yard and immediately administered CPR. The firefighters continued the CPR until paramedics with Hamilton County EMS arrived. After checking the victim for any signs of a pulse, the paramedics stopped the CPR.
Four or five cats also perished in the blaze.
Fire investigators said they could not find a smoke alarm in the house.
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue also responded to the scene, providing hot drinks and snacks to help emergency responders cope with the frigid temperatures.