Several families have been displaced after fire ripped through the Airport Inn motel at 7725 Lee Highway Monday afternoon.

A clerk at the motel's front desk was reportedly one of the first to notice the smoke and immediately went door-to-door to alert the residents. Passing motorists on Lee Highway and on Interstate 75 also saw flames shooting through the roof of the two-story structure and called 911.

The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 2:25 p.m. and responded with six fire companies. Seeing the size of the fire upon arrival, Captain Jeff Eldridge with Quint 8 requested a second alarm response, which brought in an additional six fire companies.

Battalion Chief Winston Shields, the incident commander, said the flames had made their way into the attic, making it that much more difficult for the firefighters to get the fire out. The hot afternoon temperatures also added to the stress. One firefighter was transported by Hamilton County EMS to Erlanger Medical Center to be treated for what appeared to be heat exhaustion. Another firefighter had to be taken out of the firefighting operation after he also showed signs of heat exhaustion. He was treated on the scene and allowed to return to duty.

The firefighters used several hand-held hose lines and master streams from aerials in an effort to keep the fire from destroying the entire building. Several firefighters also got on the roof and used power saws to make a "trench cut," which gave the firefighters access to the flames in the attic. Chief Shields said it took roughly 45 minutes to get most of the flames out, but it would take much longer to finish putting out hot spots.

Aside from the firefighters who were treated for heat exhaustion, there were no reports of any fire-related injuries. Most of the residents in the motel were evacuated immediately.

Several residents in the motel said they did not hear any smoke alarms at the time of the fire. Assistant Fire Marshal David Brooks said he would be investigating those reports.

Chattanooga firefighters completed their search of the burned sections in the motel and no one was found. All residents who were in their rooms at the time of the fire apparently got out safely.

Haz-mat personnel used special gas monitors to check for any evidence of a meth lab. No evidence was found to indicate that a meth lab was involved, Officials said.

As to the cause of the fire, Capt. James Whitmire with the Fire Investigation Division said the cause of the fire appears to be accidental in nature, though the exact cause is still being determined.

The owner, Sanjay Acharya, said the building has 80 motel rooms, though how many were occupied at the time of the fire is not known at this time.

Chattanooga Police, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue and Hamilton County EMS provided assistance on the scene. The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department also assisted by providing a special monitoring device to help determine if a meth lab was involved.

The Greater Chattanooga Area American Red Cross was called in to help victims of the blaze.

According to motel management, approximately 20 rooms were occupied at the time of the fire.

Chattanooga firefighters contacted the Red Cross for assistance to help fire victims needing immediate shelter.

Local Red Cross Disaster Assistance Volunteers Dick and Mary Ann Blazak, David Kaplan and Hector Vazquez were onsite at the nearby America's Best Inn, where victims needing assistance have gathered.

At the current time, more than six families who have been given Client Assistance Cards, many of whom have been longterm residents of the motel.

The Greater Chattanooga Area American Red Cross provides disaster assistance to anyone needing help as the result of the fire. The Red Cross is not a governmental agency and relies on the generosity of those in the communities they serve to help fund the work of their volunteers, officials said.

Funds are desperately needed to replenish the disaster assistance fund as the chapter has helped a record number of victims in the past year, it was stated.

Donations must be designated to the Greater Chattanooga Area Chapter in order to benefit local victims - checks can be sent to 801 McCallie Ave, Chattanooga, Tn., 37403 or donations can be made online through a secure website at www.chattanoogaredcross.org.