Chattanooga firefighters raced to the scene of a duplex fire after hearing reports that children were still inside. Dispatchers with 911 Communications received the initial call at 1:13 p.m. The caller said there was a fire in a duplex at 4012 Arbor Place Lane and that the children had just ran back into the burning building.
When the first firefighters arrived on the scene, they found an adult male inside trying to put the kitchen fire out with a garden hose. The man was actually a neighbor who lived down the street. Lt. Dean Bates with Quint 6 said they got the man out of the house and made sure no one else was inside. Fortunately, the children were safe outside.
Lt. Bates said the fire had spread from the kitchen stove to the adjacent wall and ceiling above. The flame were beginning to get into the attic, but the firefighters got to the flames before they could do much more damage.
The fire damage was mostly contained to the kitchen area, but there was smoke and water damage to the rest of the apartment. The dollar loss was estimated at $10,000.
No one was reportedly home in the other side of the duplex. However, it did have some smoke damage and because of the fire, the electrical service had to be disconnected to both units in the duplex. The fire left seven to eight people without a home. Volunteers with the American Red Cross were called in to provide assistance to both families.
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental. Lieutenant Henry McElvain with the Fire Investigation Division said one of the children was heating up grease on the stove to cook. Apparently the grease got too hot and burst into flames.
Captain Lesley Morgan and Lt. Anthony Moore provided assistance with the investigation. Chattanooga police, Hamilton County EMS and Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue also provided assistance on the scene.