News Releases

Thanks to the staff at Erlanger Hospital for quickly taking action to extinguish a small fire in a patient’s room. At 5:03 PM, the Chattanooga Fire Department was dispatched to 975 E 3rd Street for a reported working fire on the third floor. On arrival at the hospital, crews went inside to investigate and found that the fire was already out. Firefighters immediately started ventilating the area and used several fans to clear out the smoke. They also checked for any possible extension and used air monitors to make sure the quality was safe for the staff and patients. Multiple Green Shift companies responded to the scene along with CFD investigators. There were no injuries. The fire was accidental in nature. There was an unused warming light above the ceiling tile over a patient’s bed. A member of the hospital staff came into the room to do work and unknowingly flipped on the switch for the light, which caused two ceiling tiles to smolder. Employees immediately removed the patient from the room and used a fire extinguisher on the tiles.

Erlanger Health System also issued this statement: “At just after 5pm, a very small fire occurred at Erlanger Baroness Hospital on the third floor. It was quickly extinguished by Erlanger staff. The Chattanooga Fire Department checked for fire extension and air quality while ventilating the area. Five patients were moved out of an abundance of caution and there are no injuries and no disruption to patient care. No other operations were impacted and the hospital remains open and ready to care for the community. Thank you to the Chattanooga Fire Department for your quick response and concern for patients, visitors and staff.”

The Chattanooga Fire Department and Volkswagen’s Safety Forces worked together to battle a fire in the body shop of the company’s massive plant Tuesday morning. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries and the blaze was quickly extinguished. The call came out at 8:46 AM to the facility on Volkswagen Drive. Reports from VW’s Fire Department were that there was an active fire on one line in the body shop. A second alarm was called by CFD to bring additional companies to the scene, along with more EMS units. The plant was immediately evacuated for the safety of employees.

Crews found that a conveyor belt in a confined space had caught fire. Volkswagen’s Fire Department needed extra manpower and extra hose for a solid water supply and CFD was there to assist. Firefighters encountered heavy smoke, but the natural ventilation from the bay doors allowed them to have some visibility so they could spot the fire. They made an attack with VW’s Fire Department and had the flames under control by 9:16 AM. They then monitored hot spots. Ventilation fans were used to clear smoke out of the large building and booms helped prevent water runoff into other areas of the structure. Cleanup took some time following the successful joint firefighting operation. Seven workers were treated for minor smoke inhalation on the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Assembly operations at Volkswagen have been suspended for the rest of the day.

Responding companies/agencies: Volkswagen Fire Department, CFD Squad 7, Ladder 7, Quint 6, Engine 15, Quint 21, Ladder 13, Quint 8, Squad 13, Engine 4, Quint 16, Engine 11, Ladder 19, Squad 19, Quint 10, Battalion 2, Battalion 3 (Green Shift), multiple Hamilton County EMS units and command staff, CFD’s command staff, CFD’s Special Operations Division, Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescue’s Rehabilitation Unit, CFD Supply and Hamilton County 911’s Incident Dispatch Unit. We appreciate our Tri-State Mutual Aid partners for filling in at our fire halls to make sure there was fire coverage in the city while units were on the scene. Thanks to Volkswagen’s team for everything they did to support our crews. Their staff was incredibly helpful, even making sure firefighters had plenty of water. The CFD and VW’s Fire Department have trained together for these types of events for years, making for a smooth operation.

"These types of fires are extremely dangerous. Life hazard is our primary concern with so many employees working there. We rely heavily on Volkswagen's team for accountability and they do a great job with that," said Fire Chief Phil Hyman. "Time is everything for us in these situations so having an on-site fire department is a huge help. Our relationship with VW is strong and we worked very well together."

On July 8th at 11:56 PM, the Chattanooga Fire Department responded to a reported dumpster fire in the 900 block of 19th Street and found a large pile of primarily scrap metal actively burning in close proximity to other buildings. A defensive attack was initiated. Four hundred feet of supply line was laid from Quint 1 and positioned for aerial defensive operations. Eight hundred feet of supply line was laid from Squad 1 to Ladder 1, effectively establishing a water supply. Other companies established a boosting pressure operation at the hydrants. A representative from the business advised that all ferrous metals had been removed so aerial streams poured on the pile until no smoldering was observed. Steps and precautions were taken with the business to make sure the scene was safe and secure before crews returned to service. Quint 14, Engine 5, Squad 1, Ladder 1, Ladder 5, Engine 12, Quint 1, Battalion 1, Battalion 3 (Blue Shift) and CFD Special Operations responded.

On July 8, 2021 at 3:20 PM, the Chattanooga Fire Department responded to a commercial fire at 400 Chickamauga Road. Squad 13, Ladder 13, Engine 15, Quint 8, Quint 21, Quint 6, Squad 7, Battalion 2, Battalion 3 (Blue Shift) and CFD Investigations were on the call. The reporting party and CPD on scene reported seeing black smoke and flames coming from the roof of a motorsports store located in back of a grocery store, in the same building. There was no fire inside. Crews began fire attack on the roof. The fire was knocked down quickly and only involved the rubber roofing material and no structural components. Once the fire was fully extinguished, several crews remained on the scene until the investigation was complete. The cause is under investigation.