Workers Injured In Flash Fire Wednesday

  • Wednesday, February 21, 2018
photo by Bruce Garner
Two men doing maintenance work on a sewer line were injured Wednesday morning by a flash fire. The incident occurred around 9 a.m. at 3806 Amnicola Highway, with Chattanooga firefighters being dispatched to a "confined space explosion."
 
Captain Robert Thompson with the fire department's Special Operations division said the men were down in a manhole when a flash fire broke out.
Both men managed to get out of the manhole and call 911 for help. 

When the first firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire was already out. One man appeared to be suffering from second-degree burns and was transported by Hamilton County EMS to a local hospital, where his condition was still being assessed. The other man had minor burns and declined to be transported. 

Captain Thompson said they are still trying to determine what caused the flash fire. Representatives with the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) will also be conducting an investigation of the incident.
 
The two workers are employed by SpectraShield, a subcontractor being used by the city of Chattanooga.
Breaking News
Latest Hamilton County Arrest Report
  • 7/8/2025

Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report. (If your case is dismissed, just email us your name and date we ran it and we will promptly take off. Email to news@chattanoogan.com ) ALEXANDER,GREGORY ... more

DCA To Continue Work Helping Improve Miller Park
  • 7/7/2025

The city is planning to continue to call on the Downtown Chattanooga Alliance for help in improving the situation at Miller Park downtown. Officials said the DCA last fiscal year helped city ... more

Man Charged With Reckless Homicide In Fatal Wreck Last December
Man Charged With Reckless Homicide In Fatal Wreck Last December
  • 7/7/2025

A charge of reckless homicide has been brought against a man involved in a fatal wreck near Highway 153 last December. Dylan Brock Babin, 21 of Trion, Ga., died later from his injuries. ... more