photo by Bruce Garner
Quick work by Chattanooga firefighters helped prevent a fire from destroying a South Chattanooga business early Thursday morning. The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 12:17 a.m. and responded to a fire at Republic Services at 1,000 E. 38th Street with six fire companies.
Firefighters with Quint 14 were the first to arrive on the scene and they reported seeing heavy fire on one side of the building. Seeing the magnitude of the fire, Captain Tim Greer called for a second alarm response, bringing in an additional six fire companies. Firefighters with Quint 13 said they could see the flames from miles away as they responded to the fire.
The flames broke through the roof as additional firefighters arrived on the scene. Battalion Chief Ashley May, the incident commander, said the firefighters made a quick interior attack on the fire, getting the blaze under control in roughly 30 minutes. No injuries were reported. Most of the building was saved, but the fire did cause substantial damage to one part of the structure.
Damages have been estimated at $150,000. The lead fire investigator believes the cause of the fire is accidental, but what exactly sparked the blaze remains under investigation.
A few employees were reportedly in the building when the fire was discovered, but they got out unharmed. Republic Services provides waste and recycling services in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga Police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.
For video by Bruce Garner, click here.