photo by Bruce Garner
Shortly before 7 a.m. on Monday, Chattanooga firefighters responded to a fire at 6431 Plantation Drive.
Captain Michael Montieth with Quint 7 said heavy smoke was visible as they made their way inside the house.
The man who lived there was still inside and he directed the firefighters to the bedroom where the fire was.
The firefighters got the man out of the house and worked quickly to get the blaze under control. The man was treated on the scene by Hamilton County EMS for smoke inhalation. He declined to be transported to a hospital.
The firefighters had the fire out in under 10 minutes, containing the fire damage to the one room. Battalion Chief Nate Middlebrooks said the man helped save the rest of his house by closing the door as he left the room. "Closing that door helped to contain the fire," said Mr. Middlebrooks, "and that bought us a little time to get there and put the fire out."
The cause of the fire is being ruled accidental, most likely from a faulty extension cord. The loss was estimated at $10,000. Chattanooga Police also provided assistance on the scene.