photo by Brent McDonald, News Channel 9
photo by Brent McDonald, News Channel 9
photo by Brent McDonald, News Channel 9
Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to a house fire at 5004 St. Elmo Avenue around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The resident in the house said he was installing a washer and dryer when a breaker tripped and the power went off. When he turned the breaker back on, a fire broke out in the wiring. The man tried to put the fire out himself, but the fire was in the wall and spreading, so he and another person got out of the house and called 911.
The fire was beginning to spread into the attic when Chattanooga firefighters arrived. Battalion Chief Chris Willmore said the firefighters worked quickly to cut into the walls to get to the fire. They also knocked out the fire in the attic, getting the fire out in five to 10 minutes. The loss was estimated at $4,000. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire was ruled accidental, most likely from an electrical malfunction.