News Releases

A woman and several pets are safe after escaping a large house fire Wednesday morning that sent a plume of smoke into the air visible from across the area. A passerby called 911 around 11 AM to report that they were driving past a home in the 6600 block of Kenton Ridge Circle and saw that the residence was on fire. That’s in the Kenton Ridge subdivision in the Shallowford Road/Hickory Valley area. Multiple Green Shift companies responded and on arrival, they found heavy smoke coming from the back of the house. After further investigation, they also spotted flames and started attacking the fire. One crew attempted to go in the front, but they pulled back due to dangerous fire conditions. Once the flames went through the roof, command ordered an evacuation to protect the safety of firefighters. Crews launched a defensive operation due to concerns of structural collapse. Soon after, the roof did collapse. Extra companies were called to the scene to provide support. Aerial devices were used to fully extinguish the fire. One occupant and several pets safely exited the burning home. It appeared one of the dogs had suffered burns. The fire caused significant damage and the house is considered a total loss. Firefighters successfully protected neighbors’ nearby homes located on either side of the structure. One of the neighbors’ houses sustained minimal damage thanks to the hard work of the CFD units who worked this call. There were no injuries. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Crews were on the scene for most of the day working the fire. The home ultimately had to be torn down due to unstable walls in close proximity to neighboring homes and in order to fully extinguish fire burning in the basement area of the strcuture.

“All of our firefighters have done an outstanding job today. We did get the fire control rather quickly even with a defensive attack and protected both structures on each side,” said Captain Chris Fryar, Acting BC2.

Kenton Ridge Circle fire 1

Kenton Ridge Circle fire 2

The Chattanooga Fire Department worked a residential structure fire in the 4800 block of Ranger Lane Saturday morning. Red Shift companies responded to the call at 11 AM. Smoke detectors alerted the occupants to a fire in the kitchen and they were able to get out of their home safely with no injuries. Captain Scott Sparks was in command with Quint 6 and Squad 7 making a quick interior attack, extinguishing the fire within 10 minutes. Four occupants were displaced (three adults and one child). The American Red Cross will be assisting the family. The cause of the fire was accidental due to unattended cooking. Quint 6, Ladder 7, Squad 7, Quint 8, Engine 4, Battalion 2 and Battalion 3 responded.

Ranger Lane house fire

Information from the community helped in the quick apprehension of an arson suspect in Chattanooga. Jimmy Lebron Hill Jr., 31, was taken into custody Thursday morning by fire investigators and CPD. Hill is now charged with aggravated arson stemming from an intentionally set apartment fire that endangered the lives of other people at the complex. Residents were alerted to the sound of smoke alarms going off at their apartments on Grove Street Wednesday and they quickly notified 91l. Some neighbors even tried to help put the fire out with fire extinguishers. It happened at 10:46 AM at the Golden Gateway Apartments at 1110 Grove Street. First responding CFD companies found smoke and fire coming out of the window of one of the second floor apartments. They attacked the fire and had the flames knocked down in 15 minutes. All residents had safely evacuated the entire apartment building and a search of the structure confirmed that it was all clear. There were no injuries. CFD investigators developed Hill as the suspect in the case and they turned to the public for assistance in locating him. In a short timeframe, critical details were received that allowed authorities to track him down. Hill was brought in for questioning about the incident and then transported to jail.

“We greatly appreciate the relationship we have with the community and the assistance they were able to provide us in this case, leading to this major development with an arrest,” said Chattanooga Fire Chief Phil Hyman.

Grove Street fire 3

Residents were alerted to the sound of smoke alarms going off at a Chattanooga apartment complex Wednesday and they quickly notified 91l. Some neighbors even tried to help put the fire out with fire extinguishers. It happened at 10:46 AM at the Golden Gateway Apartments at 1110 Grove Street. First responding Green Shift units found smoke and fire coming out of the window of one of the second floor apartments. They made a quick attack and had the flames knocked down in 15 minutes. All residents had safely evacuated the entire apartment building and a search of the structure confirmed that it was all clear. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation. It appears that it was intentionally set. The building where today’s fire took place is on the back side of the building where a large fire occurred this past Labor Day. The two cases are not connected.

Grove Street fire

Smoke detectors woke up the occupants of a Hickory Valley Road home Wednesday morning so they could escape their burning residence. The call came out at 5:47 AM to the house in the 2000 block. Flames were knocked down quickly by Chattanooga firefighters, but additional fire was found underneath the structure. Crews were on the scene for some time checking for extension and monitoring hot spots. There were no injuries. Two people were displaced and will be receiving assistance from the Red Cross. The cause of the fire is under investigation. There’s substantial damage to the structure. This happened close to our shift change so Green Shift firefighters relieved Red Shift crews after a busy 24 hours on duty. Fire officials say this incident shows the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home.

"They are your first line of defense when something is wrong. It's crucial that your smoke detectors are functioning properly. Please check them today. They will save your life. They give you the time you need to get out," stressed Chattanooga Fire Marshal William Matlock.

Hickory Valley Road residential fire