Fire Damages At $1.25 Million
posted November 2, 2005
Chattanooga firefighters battled a two-alarm fire in the Heritage Landing community early Wednesday morning. Gordon and Francis Smith said they didn’t know their home was on fire until someone banged on their door to alert them.
Motorists reportedly traveling across Veterans Bridge toward North Chattanooga saw fire on the backside of a large house next to the river. They notified the guard on duty at Heritage Landing, and then drove to the house and went door-to-door notifying the residents to get out. All of the residents got out of their homes uninjured.
The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 1:23 a.m. and responded with five fire companies to 1080 Constitution Drive. The house was actually a condominium divided into four units. Seeing the magnitude of the fire – which was already breaking through the roof – and the size of the condos, Battalion Chief Winston Shields called for a second alarm response, bringing in an additional four fire companies.
The firefighters attacked the fire very aggressively, setting up aerials to spray water on the roof while other firefighters with Quint 2 and Squad 1 carried in handheld hoselines up to the second floor. Captain David Thompson Jr. with Quint 2 said part of the ceiling collapsed on them while they were attempting to get the fire out. No serious injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, other firefighters on the back side of the house were trying to get to the gas meter. A break in the gas line on or near the meter was feeding the flames, making it much more difficult to extinguish the fire. Chief Shields said the firefighters used a “fog spray” to push the flames away from the meter long enough for a Chattanooga Gas Company technician to get in to shut off the gas supply. Once the gas was shut off, the firefighters were able to make much more progress in getting the fire under control.
The initial operation was under the command of Captain Mark Shook. Chief Shields said a good portion of the four-unit condo and the property inside were saved, thanks to Captain Shook and a bunch of very aggressive firefighters. “They took some risks making an interior attack with part of the roof on fire,” said Chief Shields, “and the gas-fed fire on the back of the structure was also tough to get out.” Chief Shields said one unit had substantial damage, one had moderate damage, and the other two had water damage.
Chattanooga Police, Hamilton County EMS and Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue also provided assistance on the scene.
A preliminary report from a Chattanooga fire investigator indicates that the 2-alarm fire was accidental. Captain Craig Haney with the Fire Investigation Division said he has all but ruled out arson, and even electrical problems.
Instead, Captain Haney believes the fire started near a gas meter located at the rear of the condo. Even after the fire was extinguished, firefighters could smell natural gas coming from the ground near the meter. Captain Haney believes the fire was connected to a gas leak, but what exactly sparked the blaze remains under investigation.
No one was injured in the blaze.
Captain Haney said the loss was estimated at $1.25 million for the structure and its contents.
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Photograph by Bruce Garner
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