Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to a possible fire in a condominium shortly before 9 a.m. on Wednesday at 949 Ashland Terrace.
The first firefighters to arrive on the scene came from Station 16. Captain Brent Arnold said no smoke was visible when they arrived, but when they went around to the back of the condo and opened the kitchen door, thick, black smoke poured out, confirming they had a real fire. As additional fire companies began to arrive on the scene, firefighters took in a hand-held hoseline and had the fire out in five to ten minutes. The rest of the condo had some smoke and water damage.
The woman who lived there told firefighters that she put a kettle on a hotplate to warm up for tea. When she returned to the kitchen, the stove area where the hotplate was located was on fire. The woman got out of the condo without injury and called 911.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for one of her cats. Battalion Chief Don Bowman said one of her two cats died in the fire, most likely from smoke inhalation. Her other cat is missing.
The cause of the fire will be ruled accidental, from unattended cooking. Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee were called in to provide assistance to the victim. Chattanooga police, Hamilton County EMS and EPB also provided assistance on the scene.
The section of Ashland Terrace in front of St. Jude Catholic School was closed during the firefighting operation. At around 11 a.m., the street was being re-opened to traffic.