Chattanooga firefighters saved a popular restaurant near Hamilton Place Mall early Monday morning.
When an automatic fire alarm activated at
2:03 a.m. at Carrabba's Italian Grill on Hamilton Place Boulevard, six fire companies responded.
Battalion Chief Rick Boatwright said firefighters could could see light smoke coming from the building so they forced their way inside.
The fire was located near a brick oven. Chief Boatwright said flames had penetrated into the wall and were beginning to spread. The firefighters initially used portable fire extinguishers, but with fire inside the wall, they decided to use a hand-held hoseline make sure the fire was out. No injuries were reported.
The loss from the fire was estimated at $5,000, but Chief Boatwright said the damage could have been far worse. "The automatic fire alarm did its job of notifying us," said Chief Boatwright, "and our firefighters worked to get the fire out quickly, saving a restaurant valued in excess of $2 million. I call that a real good save!"
The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental. Captain Andrew Waters with the Fire Investigation Division said the fire appeared to have started where firewood is stored for the brick oven. An employee with Carrabba's told firefighters that the restaurant will open for business today.