photo by Alexandra DeHart
photo by Alexandra DeHart
photo by Battalion Chief Rick Boatwright
No injuries were reported in connection with an apartment fire early Monday morning.
The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at
12:18 a.m. and responded to 4114 Webb Road with five fire companies. Upon arrival, the first firefighters on the scene could see flames shooting 20 to 30 feet in the air. The structure on fire was a residential structure with three apartment units.
Lt. Matthew Martin with Quint 6 said they were informed that someone might still be inside. Fortunately, Chattanooga Police Officer Charles Harvey arrived earlier and banged on the doors to wake up all of the residents and get them out to safety.
The fire was visible on three sides of the triplex and it was beginning to spread to another residence about 20 feet away. Battalion Chief Rick Boatwright, the incident commander, called for several additional fire companies to bring in extra personnel and equipment. While some firefighters worked to get the main blaze under control, others worked to keep the fire from spreading the the other structure. They succeeded in limiting the damage to the other structure to the exterior siding and roof.
The firefighters extinguished the fire in the triplex, but the damage was substantial. The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental. A fire investigator said a resident was heating up some grease on the stove to cook something, and left it unattended. When he returned to the kitchen, the room was on fire and spread very quickly from there.
The dollar loss was estimated at $180,000 for the building and its contents.
The fire displaced a total of five people. Volunteers with the American Red Cross were called in to provide assistance the victims. Hamilton County EMS, EPB and Hamilton County Marine Rescue also provided valuable assistance on the scene.