Damages from Wednesday's fire at the Shooter's Depot on Shallowford Road has been estimated at roughly $400,000 for the building. The estimated damage to the contents was $30,000. It would have been much higher, but the firefighters were able to protect the showroom and office area, where the ammunition and firearms were located. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
During the firefighting operation, a truck driver drove his 18-wheeler around some fire apparatus and ran over a fire hose that supplied water to the firefighters.
A Chattanooga police officer chased down the truck driver and charged him with reckless endangerment and crossing a fire hose. Operations Chief Rick Boatwright expressed his gratitude for the police department's support. "These fire hoses are lifelines for our firefighters," he said. "If you bust a fire hose while driving over it, you've taken away the protection the firefighters must have while fighting a fire."