News Releases

A second alarm fire at the Golden Gateway Apartments in Chattanooga is believed to be connected to cooking.

It happened at 11:24 PM Friday. CFD was called to one of the apartment buildings on Grove Street.

Quint 1 saw heavy smoke coming from the front of one of the bottom units when they pulled up and fire showing from the rear.

A second alarm was called due to possible entrapment.

Firefighters made an interior attack and conducted a primary search and found that the resident had already exited the structure prior to our arrival.

Units went to work getting the fire out in the apartment of origin. All other units in the building were searched and they were all clear.

Four apartments in the building sustained damage. The other four units were not impacted.

Fire officials on the scene determined that it was a cooking fire. One firefighter was treated for burns on his ear.

Quint 1, Squad 1, Ladder 1, Engine 5, Ladder 5, Quint 14, Battalion 1, Battalion 2 (Green Shift), CPD, HCEMS, EPB, and Chattanooga Hamilton County Rehab were on the scene.

Squad 20, Quint 3, Quint 17 and Engine 12 also responded.

The Red Cross is providing assistance to those impacted by the fire.

We appreciate the support of Mutual Aid to provide fire coverage while our crews were on the scene.

grove st fire

An efficient response by CFD resulted in crews being able to quickly get an early morning house fire under control.

It happened at 1:15 AM Thursday in the 4800 block of Rogers Road off of North Moore Road.

Quint 13 was first on the scene and reported a working residential structure fire. Flames were coming out of a window under the car port.

Quint 13 made a transitional attack from the exterior window to knock the fire down and then moved to the interior to extinguish the remainder of the fire and conduct a primary search.

All responding personnel rotated through to assist with overhaul operations by pulling the ceiling and walls to check for fire extension.

Command declared “Loss Stopped” at 1:30 AM and “Fire Under Control” at 1:38 AM.

Thankfully, all of the residents had safely escaped the burning home before firefighters arrived.

Engine 15, Engine 5, Ladder 5, Quint 13, Squad 13, Battalion 2 (Red Shift), CPD, HCEMS and EPB were on the scene.

There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Rogers Road fire

The American Red Cross is assisting two adults following a fire at their home on Monday morning.

CFD was called to a house in the 5000 block of Eller Road (not far off Highway 58) at 9:17 AM.

Quint 6 was first on the scene and found light smoke coming from the roof of the structure.

An interior search was conducted and crews located fire in the basement. It was extinguished in ten minutes.

Quint 6, Squad 7, Quint 10, Quint 8, Engine 4, Battalion 1 and Battalion 2 (Red Shift), EPB, Red Cross and Hamilton County EMS responded.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Eller Road house fire

Squad 19 and Engine 22 (Blue Shift) responded to a car in a ditch on Grubb Road with the driver trapped at 8 AM Sunday.

Upon arrival, Squad 19 reported the car was upside down and partially submerged.

The driver was able to move inside the vehicle and keep their head out of the water.

Firefighters were able to quickly remove the door and help the driver out of the car. There were no significant injuries.

grubb road extrication

The Chattanooga Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA)- the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years- to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign: “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” The campaign works to educate everyone about the simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half (44%) of reported home fires started in the kitchen. Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. Scald burns are the second leading cause of all burn injuries. Hot liquids from coffee and even microwaved soup can cause devastating injuries.

“We know cooking fires can be prevented,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of outreach and advocacy. “Staying in the kitchen, using a timer, and avoiding distractions such as electronics or TV are steps everyone can take to keep families safe in their homes.”

The Chattanooga Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2020 Fire Prevention Week theme.

“Serving up fire safety in the kitchen is the most important step you should take before making a meal,” said Chattanooga Fire Marshal William Matlock. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. We have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

CFD wants to share safety tips to keep you from having a cooking fire:

Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
If you are simmering, baking, roasting or broiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while the food is cooking and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
You have to be alert while cooking. You won’t be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs or consumed alcohol that makes you drowsy.
Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.
Have a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas were hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

The Chattanooga Fire Department has created a PSA to support this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign. To learn more about how you can “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen,” go to the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Namxn_X0Ig&feature=youtu.be

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking fire safety, visit www.fpw.org.

FPW