News Releases

A Chattanooga man will serve a decade in prison for a brutal attack on his girlfriend. Van Edward Keith III, 45, pleaded guilty to Aggravated Domestic Assault and Arson this week and received a ten year sentence. On June 3, 2022, Keith beat the victim so severely at a home in the 2100 block of Allin Street that she was unable to walk. He then set the house on fire with her still inside and left as the structure burned. The victim, while suffering from compound fractures, managed to pull herself out of the residence and crawled into the street where she started to scream for help. Neighbors came out to assist her and called 911. At 5:45 AM, Chattanooga firefighters responded to the scene and found smoke coming from the windows, as well as the front and back door of the residence. Crews quickly initiated an offensive attack and got the fire out. There was damage to the kitchen and front living area and smoke damage throughout the home. The victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for her injuries and she faced a long recovery process. CFD investigators quickly identified Keith as the suspect and he was arrested on June 9, 2022. The victim told investigators that she was pleased with the outcome of the case and eager to move on after her terrifying ordeal.

A woman suffered burns to her body following an apparent mishap with a candle that sparked an apartment fire on Mountain Creek Road Saturday night. On 1/20/24 at 5:50 PM, Red Shift companies responded to the Alpine Villas Apartments after a resident in the complex called 911 asking for help. Quint 17 found the victim with injuries and she was quickly loaded into an ambulance and transported to the hospital by Hamilton County EMS. Q17 then went into her apartment and found a fully involved bathroom fire. Firefighters made a quick and effective fire attack, knocking flames down quickly and preventing the fire from spreading to the other three apartments in the building. Police officers helped evacuate residents in the other units while CFD personnel worked. The fire was under control in minutes and then crews checked for extension. There was moderate damage to the victim’s apartment. According to investigators, it appears that a candle burning in the bathroom caused the fire. Please use caution with candles and keep anything that can burn away from them. Quint 17, Engine 12, Engine 22, Quint 16, Ladder 19, Squad 19, Squad 1, Battalion 1, and Battalion 3 were on the scene, along with EMS and CPD. The victim continues to recover from her injuries. 

Blue Shift companies worked their second house fire of the night in frigid conditions. At 2:30 AM on 1/17/24, firefighters responded to a home in the 3900 block of Graceland Trail and found heavy fire coming from the structure. All parties were out of the residence. Crews made an interior attack and conducted searches. It appears that the fire started in the basement and moved up to the second floor. When the floors became spongy, defensive operations were launched for safety reasons. CFD personnel remained on the scene several hours later, working to extinguish the fire in different spots. There were no injuries. Several residents were displaced by the fire. Engine 15, Quint 6, Squad 13, Ladder 13, Quint 8, Battalion 1, and Battalion 2 responded, along with CPD and Hamilton County EMS. Hours earlier, firefighters tackled a house fire in the 4100 block of Bonny Oaks Drive.

Update on 1/17/24 at 12:30 PM: The Chattanooga Fire Department has cleared the scene on Graceland Trail after more than nine hours. The home was structurally unsound due to fire damage and the floors were too compromised for firefighters to get inside and fully extinguish the fire. Public Works brought machinery to the scene and tore down the burned duplex due to unsafe conditions. Then crews were able to get the fire out. Several firefighters suffered minor injuries from falling on the icy driveway. Public Works responded with a salt and sand truck to treat the driveway and roadway in order to improve conditions for firefighters operating on the scene. Heaters were brought out for firefighters to keep warm and also to thaw frozen nozzles and hoses. Crews were rotated in and out of their trucks to get warm. Multiple agencies assisted the CFD, including city building inspectors, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau, CPD, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue’s rehab truck, CFD investigators, CFD Supply, and Tennessee American Water to aid with water supply. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Two people were displaced by an electrical fire late Tuesday night in Chattanooga. At 10:50 PM on 1/16/24, Blue Shift companies responded to a reported residential fire in the 4100 block of Bonny Oaks Drive, at the corner of Bonny Oaks and Churchill Road. The residents reported smelling something burning inside their home and firefighters found fire in the front corner of the residence. They made an interior and exterior attack, but they couldn’t fully extinguish the fire until EPB arrived and pulled power to the structure. Every time crews tried to check for extension, wires arced. Once those obstacles were mitigated, the fire was extinguished. It was determined to be electrical in nature, according to officials on the scene. There were no injuries and the Red Cross will be assisting two adults who safely escaped the fire. Engine 4, Engine 15, Quint 6, Ladder 7, Squad 7, Battalion 1, and Battalion 2 responded, along with CPD and EPB.