Chattanooga firefighters responded to a structure fire around 3 p.m. Friday at 7840 Avalon Acres Court.
The structure was a duplex and the neighbor on one side was the first to notice smoke coming from the unit on the other side. After the neighbor called 911, the Chattanooga Fire Department responded with five fire companies. Battalion Chief Steve Swanson said the firefighters initially had a hard time finding the fire in the smoke-filled apartment, but after using a thermal imaging camera, located the flames in the attic.
The firefighters got the fire out within minutes. Chief Swanson said a firewall between the two units helped keep the fire from spreading to the adjacent unit. One firefighter was treated on the scene by Hamilton County EMS for heat exhaustion.
A family of four lived in the apartment and volunteers with the American Red Cross were called in to provide assistance to them. An estimate on the dollar loss was not available. The cause of the fire is under investigation.