09-25-14 Firefighters Respond to Early Morning House Fire

The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 1:38 a.m. and responded to 4100 9th Avenue with four fire companies. Battalion Chief Lesley Morgan said the house was fully engulfed in flames when the first firefighters arrived on the scene.

As the firefighters approached the house with handheld hoselines, they noticed a live power line hanging down from the house that was in contact with a fence. With that way blocked, the firefighters had to make their way around to the back side of the property to begin fighting the fire. A short time later, an EPB technician arrived to disconnect the power, and the fire was eventually brought under control, but the house was a total loss. Chief Morgan said a public works crew was called in with a track hoe to move the debris around so firefighters could finish extinguishing the fire.

Chief Morgan said it appeared the two-story house was being used for storage and was unoccupied. The dollar loss was estimated at around $50,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Chattanooga police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.

* Photo by Lt. Tim Waters – This is what firefighters saw when they first arrived on the scene.