photo by CFD
A dangerous kitchen fire on Thursday afternoon pinned family members in the second story of their Chattanooga house, but quick-thinking neighbors took action to help them get out as firefighters rushed to the scene.
Multiple 911 calls were made around 4:30 p.m. with reports of smoke coming from a home in the 1200 block of Franklin Drive off East Brainerd Road. Several of the residents made it out safely, but others were upstairs and found themselves trapped.
A neighbor spotted a girl in one of the upstairs windows and convinced her to jump into his arms, saving her. Then he saw her father in another upstairs window. The resident later told fire officials that the smoke was so thick and dark that he struggled to even find a window.
The neighbor got help from another Good Samaritan who lives nearby and together they pulled a trampoline over so the man could jump out of the second story window without getting hurt.
CFD Green Shift companies arrived and found heavy black smoke as well as flames through the roof on the side of the structure. They launched an interior attack and had the fire under control in less than 20 minutes. Firefighters rotated in the heat and did a thorough overhaul to make sure the flames were fully extinguished.
The cooking fire was mostly contained to the kitchen area. It displaced two adults and six children. There were no injuries.
Fire officials said, "We commend the heroic neighbors who stepped up to save lives in this terrifying and dangerous situation. Their fast thinking, resourcefulness and bravery were remarkable. Ladder 13, Squad 13, Quint 8, Quint 6, Squad 7, Ladder 7, Battalion 1 and Battalion 2 responded, along with the American Red Cross who will be assisting the impacted family. Highway 58’s Rehab Truck, EPB, CPD and HCEMS were also on the scene."
Also on this scene as crews were launching firefighting operations and working to establish a water supply, several drivers going past the location drove over the fire hoses.
Officials said, "Please do not do this. It could potentially damage the lines and impede on efforts to attack the fire, endangering firefighters and any victims who could still be inside. It can also cause damage to your vehicle and leave you with a citation."
photo by CFD