A firefighter puts out a hot spot on the back side of the house.
photo by Bruce Garner
Looking at the front of the house, a hole in the roof is the only obvious sign a fire occurred here, but the fire caused substantial damage to the backside of the house and the interior as well.
photo by Bruce Garner
Homeowner Larry Erskine shows Lt. Henry McElvain with the Fire Investigation Division where the fire started. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
photo by Bruce Garner
A Chattanooga family was getting ready for church Sunday morning when they heard a loud pop on the back side of the house. The pop they heard was apparently a window breaking from intense flames on the outside of the house. Larry Erskine, his wife Nicole, and their two-year-old daughter got out of the house without injuries and called 911.
The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 11:09 a.m. and responded to 2901 Diane Lane with five fire companies. The fire spread rapidly through the house and the resulting huge plume of smoke could be seen for miles around. Battalion Chief Chris Willmore said the firefighters made an aggressive attack on the fire, working to extinguish the blaze from the inside and outside. In the process, Chief Willmore said the firefighters were able to save two of the family’s three dogs.
It took the firefighters roughly 45 minutes to get the blaze under control. An estimate on the dollar loss was not available, but the fire caused substantial damage to the four-bedroom home. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Chattanooga police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance.