photo by Battalion Chief Chris Warren
A beauty shop and the adjacent Lions Club burned in Lookout Valley early Friday morning.
At 3:45 a.m., Chattanooga firefighters responded to a commercial fire at 9 Aster Ave. A passerby reportedly saw the flames on the back side of the building and called 911.
Firefighters from Station 20 were the first on the scene and they confirmed that flames were visible at the rear of the building.
Battalion Chief Chris Warren, the incident commander, said the firefighters searched the building and found no one inside.
As additional fire companies arrived on the scene, Chief Warren said the firefighters transitioned from an exterior to an interior attack, and managed to get the fire under control in 10 minutes. No injuries were reported.
Chief Warren said the structure is known as the Otis O'Dell building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Chattanooga Police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.
The loss was estimated at $50,000.