10-07-2013 Three Firefighters Injured in Structure Fire

They were told that someone might still be inside the house, which was split up into a residence on one side and a business on the other.

Captain Michael Wright, the incident commander, said the firefighters quickly made their way inside to search for victims. They didn't find anyone inside, but while they were looking, it is believed they experienced a flashover. A flashover occurs when all of the combustible materials in a room or an enclosed space reach their ignition temperatures at the same time. It's not unlike an explosion and the temperatures in the room jump to 1,000 degrees or more. With those extreme temperatures, even the firefighter's protective gear can fail. That may be what happened with this fire. Three firefighters sustained burns to their head, neck, arms and hands, and they were transported by Hamilton County EMS to Erlanger Medical Center. A paramedic on the scene said their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. At the time of this release, their conditions were still being assessed.

The flames had spread into the attic before firefighters could get the blaze under control, but they were able to save a good portion of the structure. An estimate on the dollar loss was not available. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Chattanooga police and EPB also provided valuable assistance on the scene.