Chattanooga Firefighters Head Off Major Blaze At Local Motel

A ladder was raised to the third floor to provide more light for the firefighters and fire investigators.
photo by Captain Scott McCullough

Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to a fire around 2 a.m. Thursday at the Country Hearth Inn and Suites at 101 E. 20^th Street. Captain Scott McCullough, the incident commander, said the fire was in a unit on the third floor. 

Firefighters quickly carried in a hand-held hoseline and got the fire under control within 15 minutes. No one was found in the rooms and no injuries were reported. The fire damage was limited to two suites, with the loss estimated at $20,000.

Captain McCullough said there were no working smoke alarms in the affected rooms, and apparently no working fire alarm for the building, which has dozens of individual suites in that one building. Captain McCullough said the fire marshal’s office was notified and would be looking into that issue. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Chattanooga police, Hamilton County EMS and EPB provided assistance on the scene.