photo by Bruce Garner
Chattanooga firefighters rushed to a house fire shortly after 1 p.m. on Thursday at 4214 3rd Ave. Lt. Chris Blazek with Quint 6 said smoke was showing from the eves of the house when the first firefighters arrived.
The firefighters forced their way in through the back door and found the fire in the basement, but the flames had spread into two bedrooms. The firefighters got the blaze under control in roughly 15 minutes. The fire damage was contained to the basement and two bedrooms. The rest of the house had smoke and water damage.
Lt. Henry McElvain with the Fire Investigation Division said the cause of the fire was accidental, most likely from an electrical malfunction. Lt. McElvain estimated the loss at $26,000.
The owner of the property told firefighters that the house was being rented to a mother and her two adult children. None of them was home at the time of the fire. Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee were called to the scene to provide assistance to the fire victims. Chattanooga Police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance.