News Releases

The Chattanooga Fire Department worked a three-alarm fire at a local landmark. Companies were called to the old Highland Park Baptist Church Friday night (6/10/22) at 7:13 PM after a passerby spotted smoke and notified 911. The property is now part of the Redemption to the Nations Church campus. It is located at the corner of Union Ave and South Orchard Knob Avenue. Crews from Station 5 saw the smoke from the fire hall as they were leaving and found heavy, black smoke coming from all four sides of the building, as well as the roof, on arrival. A second and then third alarm was called due to the conditions and size of the structure, bringing additional personnel to the scene. Firefighters made entry multiple times to locate the fire and flames were found in several locations between the first and third floor. Officials from the church advised that the vacant building was structurally unsafe. At that time, everyone was evacuated and defensive firefighting operations got underway. Ladder trucks were placed on all sides of the building for elevated master streams to contain the fire to the building of origin and protect adjacent structures. Twenty one of the CFD’s 26 companies have been on this scene- more than 100 personnel. The cause of this blaze will be under investigation. A “shelter in place” was issued for residents living within five blocks of 1906 Bailey Avenue due to the smoke hazard caused by the fire. They were asked to stay inside and close all of their windows and doors. By 2 AM Saturday morning, the fire was contained and the “shelter in place” was lifted. The Phillips Chapel and Chauncey-Goode Auditorium were heavily damaged and parts of the structures were torn down so that firefighters could put out flames in multiple locations on multiple floors. We want to thank our Tri-State Mutual Aid Association partners from across the region for filling in at our fire halls and answering calls while the CFD worked this major incident. There are no known injuries at this time. In addition to our Blue Shift personnel on the scene and members of our command staff, the following agencies also responded: Hamilton County 911’s Incident Dispatch Unit, Hamilton County EMS, CPD, Public Works, Tennessee American Water, CFD’s Fleet Division, CFD’s Investigations Division, CFD Special Operations, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue’s Rehab Unit, Chattanooga Land Development Office, city building inspectors and the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management.

Saturday update:

The fire at the old Highland Park Baptist Church is out. The CFD is still on the scene working with contractors to make sure that impacted areas and remaining walls are secure and stable to protect the public’s safety. Roads immediately surrounding the church will remain closed for the time being. The CFD’s Investigations Division, ATF and TBI are all involved in the ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire. The church and contractors have indicated that they are going to do what they can to save the bell tower and stained glass windows.

churhc

The CFD responded to a commercial fire in Downtown Chattanooga at a local foundry that makes brake drums. Blue Shift companies were called to 2660 Sidney Street at 1:18 PM Wednesday. The business reported that their baghouse was on fire. That collects the dust from the rest of the plant and it’s connected to the plant by ductwork. Firefighters spotted light smoke on arrival and found a smoldering fire in the top section of the bag hopper. They deployed an aerial device and handlines to extinguish the fire. They had to flood the area with water from the top to cool the hopper and the material inside of it, so they were at the business for some time. Squad 1, Ladder 1, Quint 1, Quint 14, Ladder 5, Engine 5, Squad 20, Battalion 1 and Battalion 2 responded.

Sidney Street fire

More than 170 volunteers, including several members of the Chattanooga Fire Department, will descend on Mayfield, Kentucky, June 6-18, to build a fully accessible home in only 12 days for a local Army veteran whose house was destroyed by an F5 tornado on December 10, 2021.

Senior Firefighter Keith Mosley, Firefighter Jake Case, Firefighter Josh Hixson, Senior Firefighter Mark Coffman, Senior Firefighter Brit Bradshaw, Captain Tyler Swindell, Lt. Joe Fuller, and Firefighter Derek Riley, along with retired CFD members Adam Cannon and Chip O’Dell, will join volunteers from around the country to build a 2,300 square ft., mortgage-free accessible home for disabled Army veteran Tim Andreasen and his family. The group are part of A Soldier’s Journey Home, a non-profit organization that builds homes for seriously injured veterans in concert with the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Two weeks before Christmas, Andreasen, his children, Lane, 8, and Lillie, 10, along with his disabled mother and stepfather, were at home watching the approach of severe weather in their area. At 9:25 p.m., Andreasen lost power and received an emergency alert. He gathered his children and within seconds, his home was hit by the tornado. Miraculously, his entire family survived, but his home was destroyed and the damage to the surrounding community was catastrophic.

Representatives from the Tunnel to Towers Foundation visited Mayfield on December 21 last year, to aid in disaster relief by distributing 15,000 toys to displaced children, barbecuing for the community, and committing millions to the rebuilding effort.

“When the Foundation came to Mayfield just before Christmas last year, we made a promise to the community that we would be back, that we would not forget them. I’m proud to say that we have kept that promise, and that in partnership with A Soldier’s Journey Home, we will be building a mortgage-free home for one of our nation’s deserving veterans, a Mayfield native. This is the fourth home we have built with A Soldier’s Journey Home, and we could not think of a better team to work with on this build,” said Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller.

“A Soldier’s Journey Home has its origins in responding to natural disaster sites to help communities rebuild. When the alarm goes off in the firehouse, it’s because someone needs help. And that’s what we’re here for,” said Patrick “Paddy” Neville, a Navy veteran, retired FDNY firefighter and A Soldier’s Journey Home president. “We have more than 170 volunteers from 22 states ready to build Tim and his family a new home.”

Press release from A Soldier's Journey Home

house build

A Friday morning house fire is under investigation by the Chattanooga Fire Department. Green Shift companies were called to a home in the 2100 block of Allin Street off Dodson Avenue at 5:45 AM. They found smoke coming from the windows, as well as the front and back door of the residence. Firefighters quickly initiated an offensive attack and a primary search of the structure. No one was found inside and the crews got the fire out quickly. There’s fire damage to the kitchen and front living area and smoke damage throughout the home. CFD investigators are working to determine what caused the blaze. The American Red Cross will be assisting the displaced residents. Engine 4, Quint 10, Quint 6, Ladder 5, Battalion 1, Battalion 3, members of our Investigations Division, EPB, CPD and HCEMS responded. Neighbors called 911 to report the fire. One woman was transported to the hospital from the scene with unknown injuries.

Allin St house fire 1

The CFD extricated the driver of a tractor trailer following a crash on Interstate 24 EB on Tuesday afternoon- an exhausting operation that took nearly 90 minutes. The semi carrying chickens reportedly struck the guardrail and flipped in the median at 1:06 PM, trapping the driver in the cab and sending chickens all over the road. Other drivers not only called 911 to report the accident, but several also stopped and tried to free the driver from the wreckage at mile marker 172 (west of Cummings Highway). Squad 20, Squad 13, Quint 3, Battalion 1 (Green Shift) and CFD Special Operations responded, along with CPD, TDOT and HCEMS. Most of the chickens were deceased in the median. Some were alive. A crew from the poultry processing company went to the scene to retrieve the live chickens and assist in cleaning up the roadway. The truck driver was injured (extent unknown). A large wrecker headed to the site of the crash to help further stabilize the semi while firefighters got the patient out. The extrication took almost an hour and a half. The patient was then transported to the hospital. Squad 7 and Squad 1 also responded to provide relief. Thanks to East Ridge and Tri-Comm for covering at our fire halls and to Guy Yates for bringing a wrecker to aid in the response.

chicken truck extrication