02-05-15 Fire Destroys House in East Chattanooga

Roy Harden, 65, told firefighters that around 4:30 this morning, he woke to the sound of popping and cracking. When he got up to investigate, the entire front half of his house was engulfed in flames. Mr. Harden said the smoke was quickly getting so bad he couldn't breathe, so he escaped out the back door. A neighbor next door also heard the noise and when she saw the flames through one of her windows, she called 911.

The Chattanooga Fire Department responded with four fire companies. Firefighters with Engine 4 were the first on the scene. Captain Carlos Hampton said the entire front part of the house was engulfed in flames and it was spreading rapidly. Battalion Chief Don Bowman, the incident commander, said that while some firefighters worked to get that blaze under control, other firefighters succeeded in keeping the flames from spreading to a neighbor's house.

The house was considered a total loss, with damages estimated at $60,000. Three cars parked in the driveway were also seriously damaged or destroyed. Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee were called in to assist Mr. Harden with a temporary place to stay, and help with food, clothing and medicine. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Chattanooga police, Hamilton County EMS and Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue also provided valuable assistance on the scene.