photo by Bruce Garner
No injuries were reported in connection with a two-alarm fire in Brainerd on Monday morning. The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm around 10 a.m. and responded with six fire companies to 3237 Brainerd Road.
Captain Joey Smith with Engine 5 said heavy smoke was showing coming from the two-story building. As additional fire companies arrived on the scene, Captain Smith said the firefighters forced their way in through a side door and found the fire in an apartment in the basement.
Once a significant fire was confirmed, Battalion Chief Ashley May, the incident commander, called for a second alarm response to bring in additional firefighters and equipment.
Fortunately, the firefighters were able to get the fire out in roughly 20 minutes.
The loss was estimated at $17,000 for the structure and contents. If the firefighters had not extinguished the fire so quickly, the damage could have been much worse. The building has a business on the first floor and apartments on the second floor, and it shares an interior wall with Mr. Happy's Restaurant. "The firefighters made a good stop on this one," said Chief May. "If they hadn't gotten it under control so quickly, we could have lost multiple businesses and apartments in this block."
With all the fire apparatus and related vehicles on the scene, Brainerd Road was closed from Seminole Drive to Rosemont Drive. It was re-opened early Monday afternoon.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross were called in to provide assistance to one resident. It is not known how many other residents might have been affected by this fire. The lead fire investigator said the cause of the fire appears to be accidental, though what exactly sparked the blaze remains undetermined. Chattanooga Police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.