photo by Bruce Garner
Shortly after noon on Wednesday, a fire broke out at the Shooter's Depot at 5958 Shallowford Road.
John Martin, co-owner of the business, said two customers in the shooting range came to him saying there was a fire. Mr. Martin said he grabbed a fire extinguisher and went to put out the fire, but the smoke was so intense he couldn't see or breathe, so he got everyone out of the building and called 911.
The Chattanooga Fire Department responded initially with six fire companies, but when the first fire companies confirmed they had a working fire, Battalion Chief Brandon Schroyer called for a second alarm response.
The fire was located in the attic space above the indoor shooting lanes and was very difficult to get to. The firefighters initially tried an interior attack, but when a portion of the roof caved in, Chief Schroyer ordered all of the firefighters out of the building for their own safety. The firefighters then fought the blaze from the outside, using hand-held hoselines and master streams from several aerials above.
There were some safety concerns about the fire getting to the ammunition, but that is kept in in the showroom and office area, which the firefighters were able to protect. It took more than 50 firefighters with 13 fire companies more than an hour to get the blaze under control. Though the showroom and office area was saved, the area with the shooting lanes and classroom suffered extensive damage. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Shooter's Depot has 15 full and part-time employees.
photo by Bruce Garner