Chattanooga firefights contained a East Lake house fire on Wednesday at 10 p.m. Firefighters managed to control the blaze at 4912 15th Ave. after about 20 minutes of fighting the fire. No injuries were reported
Captain David Barie with Engine 9 said flames had already broken through two windows and an exterior wall of the small house when the first firefighters arrived on the scene.
Captain Barie said the electrical service line to the structure had burned free from the house and was still "live and popping in the yard," which posed a real hazard for the firefighters. A repair crew with EPB was called in to disconnect power to the downed line.
The firefighters contained the fire damage to about half the house. The rest of the structure had heat and smoke damage. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is undetermined and under investigation. The dollar loss was estimated at around $25,000. The resident of the house, Jerry Ferguson, was reportedly away at the time of fire. Volunteers with the Red Cross were called in to provide assistance to the fire victim. Chattanooga police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.