News Releases

A Chattanooga child and her father are safe after flames swept through their home early Friday morning. At 5:41 AM on 4/5/24, CFD Blue Shift companies responded to the 1300 block of Citico Avenue at its intersection with North Holtzclaw Avenue for a residential structure fire with possible entrapment. A second alarm was called to bring additional CFD personnel to the scene. Firefighters made a coordinated fire attack with search efforts and did not locate anyone inside the apartment. Officials on the scene soon learned that all of the occupants of the home were safe and had made it out of the burning structure. Crews continued working until the fire was out, preventing it from spreading to three other adjoining units. Chattanooga police officers had helped warn and evacuate residents in the other apartments upon their arrival on Citico Avenue. Power had to be pulled to the building so the American Red Cross is assisting all of the displaced residents from all four units. The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no injuries. Engine 4, Engine 5, Ladder 5, Engine 9, Squad 1, Ladder 1, Engine 1, Squad 13, Ladder 13, Engine 6, Battalion 1, Battalion 2, Battalion 3, HCEMS, CPD, CFD Supply, and CFD Investigations responded, along with other second alarm companies. Thanks to our mutual aid partners for providing coverage at our fire halls while our firefighters worked at this location. Green Shift personnel took over on the scene at shift change.

In this case, a nine-year-old girl woke up to the smell of smoke in the home and when she spotted the fire, she placed a rag over her face and went to wake up her father. When she was overwhelmed by smoke, she ran out the front door and went to get help. In the meantime, her father also woke up and realized their home was on fire and escaped. He initially thought his daughter was still inside when firefighters arrived, but everyone soon discovered that she had gone to a nearby family member’s residence seeking assistance. Her bravery and resourcefulness in the face of danger are to be commended. The CFD urges every family to make sure they have working smoke alarms in their homes. Develop a home escape plan in the event of a fire and practice it together. Have a meeting place outside of your home like a tree, light post, or mailbox located a safe distance away. Remember to “get out and stay out” because toxic smoke and flames can spread very rapidly. Never go back inside a burning building.

CFD Special Operations provided mutual aid assistance with a hazmat incident in Meigs County on Monday morning. Local agencies responded to Storm Power Components (240 Industrial Drive) in Decatur on 4/1/24 where a 55-gallon drum with copper and aluminum dust had started to swell. A chemical reaction caused the barrel to heat up. The drum was sealed so pressure built up and it started to expand, releasing hydrogen gas into the plant. Firefighters relieved further pressure and removed the drum from the building. The Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security also assisted in the response.

An overnight fire displaced six adults and one child in Chattanooga. At 2:28 AM on 3/30/24, Green Shift companies responded to the 4200 block of 10th Avenue for a fire alarm. Engine 9 arrived and found light smoke coming out of the eaves. The homeowner thought her brother may still be inside. E9 did a quick search and didn’t locate anyone in the residence. Crews found the fire in a stairwell wall going to the upstairs. The fire was extinguished and the area was checked for fire extension. An investigator responded to the scene. EPB pulled the power to the structure. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the impacted residents. Engine 9, Engine 14, Engine 5, Ladder 5, and Battalion 1 responded. The fire appeared to be electrical in nature, according to investigators. 

The cause of a Hixson house fire is under investigation after an aggressive attack by Chattanooga firefighters. Just before 6 PM on 3/29/24, Hamilton County 911 began receiving multiple calls from neighbors of flames coming from a home in the 900 block of Brynewood Park Drive. First arriving units reported fire through the roof and launched an interior attack. Crews soon learned from the homeowner that no one was inside the structure. CFD personnel transitioned from offensive to defensive operations and then went offensive again, preventing the fire from spreading through the remainder of the residence. There were no injuries. Ladder 19, Squad 19, Engine 16, Engine 11, Engine 22, Battalion 2, Battalion 3 (Green Shift), HCEMS, Dallas Bay Rehab, CPD, CFD Supply, and CFD Investigations responded. Thanks to our Tri-State Mutual Aid Association partners for providing coverage while our fire companies worked on this scene.