posted February 22, 2006
Quick work by Chattanooga firefighters saved an apartment building from going up in flames early Wednesday morning.
The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 3:48 a.m. and responded to The Courts at Waterford at 6220 Shallowford Road with several fire companies.
Captain Ken Moses with Quint 8 was the first to arrive on the scene. When he saw one end of a 2-story apartment building engulfed in smoke and flames, he called for a second alarm response.
Fortunately, the additional fire companies were not needed. Using water from the tanks on the quints, the firefighters quickly attacked the flames from all sides. The fire was actually located in a utility room used by maintenance workers. The flames had penetrated into the walls and attic, and were threatening to spread to the adjacent apartment units.
The residents of the 10 units in the building had already been evacuated as a precaution. No injuries were reported.
Battalion Chief Mike Knox said the firefighters had the fire out in less than 20 minutes. He said, "They used very aggressive firefighting tactics to save that building. The damage could have been a lot worse."
The loss was estimated at $20,000.
One adjacent apartment unit had some minor smoke damage, but Chief Knox said all of the residents would be allowed back into their units by the time firefighters began clearing the scene.
The fire was discovered by a security guard, and appears to be accidental in nature, fire officials said.
Captain James Whitmire with the Fire Investigation Division said the fire appears to have originated from a golf cart, which was plugged into a charger and parked next to the building. What exactly sparked the flames on the vehicle remains undetermined.
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