Chattanooga firefighters responded to two structure fires Wednesday night.
Shortly after 7 p.m., Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to an apartment fire at 1207 Duncan Ave. There were initial reports that someone might be trapped inside, but that turned out not to be the case. All of the residents had exited the building uninjured. The structure was a house that had been divided into several apartment units. Battalion Chief Phil Hyman said the firefighters located the fire in a kitchen and quickly extinguished the blaze. The fire damage was contained to the kitchen.
The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental. The occupant of that apartment told firefighters that he was heating grease on the stove and fell asleep. Since the electrical service had to be disconnected from all of the apartments, the fire displaced six adults and one child. Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee were called in to provide assistance to the families.
Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to an apartment fire at 7:35 p.m. at East Lake Courts. Battalion Chief Hyman said the fire was located in a bedroom and quickly extinguished. The loss was estimated at $5,500. No one was injured.
Lt. Henry McElvain with the Fire Investigation Division said a six-year-old boy had been playing with a cigarette lighter and eventually caught the bed linens on fire. The fire displaced one adult and two children. Again, volunteers with the American Red Cross responded to the scene to help the family with a temporary place to stay. Chattanooga Police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.