News Releases

Chattanooga firefighters had a busy Friday morning in East Brainerd as they worked a house fire in a wooded area, requiring extra logistical operations to get water and tools to the scene.

It happened around 9:10 AM at a home off of Explorer Lane.

When firefighters arrived, they received information from dispatch that Chattanooga police officers were also headed to the scene following reports of a possible armed person at the same location.

CFD crews heard what sounded like several gunshots and pulled back for safety reasons. Once officers had the subject in custody, firefighters could advance to the residence.

By that point, they were dealing with a fully involved structure fire that had spread to the surrounding woods.

Firefighters spent most of the morning getting the fire out. It required them to take gear and hoses a long distance. The house is a total loss.

Battalion 1, Battalion 2, Engine 15, Engine 9, Quint 13, Quint 21, Quint 8, Squad 13, Squad 7, members of CFD’s Investigations Division, EPB, CPD and HCEMS were on the scene.

The subject involved in the incident, Christopher Stevens, 35, was transported to the hospital. EMS helped check vitals of several firefighters.

Stevens will be charged with arson. He lives at that residence and was there by himself at the time.

According to CFD investigators, Stevens was upset about something and allegedly set the home on fire.

He did not suffer any injuries from the fire, but was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

He will be charged upon his release from the hospital.

A truck crashed into the Center for Oral Facial and Implants Surgery on Shallowford Road on Thursday morning.

The front of the office sustained damage and a portion of the wall and windows were destroyed. The F250 came to rest in the lobby/waiting room area.

CFD Special Operations was on the scene to establish structural safety. Quint 6, the Battalion Chief for District 2 and CPD were also there.

The driver of the truck sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital. No one in the medical office was hurt. It’s not clear at this point what caused the truck to go into the building.

The scene was turned over to the city's Building Inspector's Office.

The Chattanooga Fire Department and Chattanooga Fire Fighters Association Local 820 are asking for the public’s help during the current pandemic in an effort to raise critical funds to transform the lives of kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related muscle-debilitating diseases.

Every year, members of the public see firefighters out in the community taking donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) with the time-honored Fill the Boot fundraiser. But things are much different this year due to COVID 19.

Fill the Boot events have been canceled across the country and so the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is working with MDA, launching a Virtual Fill the Boot in an attempt to raise funds that will help continue the programs and services that MDA provides. The inability to have traditional fundraising efforts has hit MDA very hard so donations through the online donor drive are greatly needed and appreciated.

Here’s the link to participate and help the Chattanooga Fire Fighters Association and CFD by donating what you can: https://filltheboot.donordrive.com/participant/chattanooga820

“Although you won’t see firefighters asking out in the streets to help fill the boot, we are going to a virtual campaign this year. It’s still very important to donate to this worthy cause. Our goal is $25,000 and we don’t want the COVID environment support for MDA,” said Chattanooga Fire Chief Phil Hyman.

Funds raised through the 2020 Fill the Boot campaign empower families with life-enhancing resources and support that open new possibilities and maximize independence so they can experience the world without any limits. Contributions have helped fund groundbreaking research and life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art support groups and Care Centers, including the MDA Care Center at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, TN.

“We are so excited to be working with the Chattanooga Fire Department and Local 820 members on this new Virtual Fill the Boot campaign to raise funds to provide life-saving assistance for children and adults with neuromuscular diseases,” said Regional Manager for Firefighter Partnerships, Holly Carroll. “COVID-19 has made this year challenging, but we are so blessed to have the support and dedication of our local firefighters who go above and beyond the call of duty for the MDA community.”

“MDA helps kids be able to live life to the fullest, even within this horrible disease that they’re facing. It’s a blessing not only to the kids, but also to their parents who get to see their children smile,” added CFD Executive Deputy Chief Seth Miller. “It’s going to look a little different this year, but we’re still asking with all of our hearts to fill that boot for us and help these kids out. It’s a long tradition for the fire department and we want to continue it even during a pandemic.”

Multiple companies responded to a residential fire on Missionary Ridge Saturday night.

CFD was called to a home on South Crest Road just after 8 PM.

Heavy smoke was showing when firefighters arrived and they made an interior attack, locating fire in the basement level of the residence.

The flames extended to the first floor through the walls. Crews worked quickly to get the fire out.

No one was home at the time and there were no injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Battalion 1, Battalion 2, Battalion 3, Engine 4, Engine 5, Ladder 5, Engine 9, Quint 13, Squad 13, Squad 1, HCEMS, CPD, EPB, CFD Supply responded to the scene.