An apartment fire on Frazier Avenue that resulted in seven rescues "appears to be accidental and electrical in nature," according to CFD investigators.
Officials said, "It’s believed to have been started by an electric vehicle in the parking garage. This is our first large-scale incident related to an electric vehicle. Two other vehicles next to the EV burned and most of the cars in the garage had heat damage. That’s in addition to the smoke damage in the businesses and apartments above the parking garage.
"The residents who were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation were treated and released.
"The fire happened at 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 22. The Chattanooga Police Department provided body cam footage from officers on the scene and it shows the collaboration between police and fire in a tense situation.
"Residents were giving important information to the police and officers were relaying those details to the crews conducting searches and making rescues. You can also see and hear the compassion the first responders have on the scene as they help people fleeing their smoke-filled homes in the middle of the night.
"Some residents climbed down a tall ladder extended to the fourth floor of the building. First responders worked together to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for as more firefighters around the back of the building (out of sight of the body cam video) also fought the fire in the parking garage."