News Releases

Chattanooga firefighters rescued a man from his burning home Saturday night in the Lookout Valley area, as well as his pet snake.

It happened at 5:15 PM on North Moss Avenue, very close to Fire Station 20.

The crew was at the fire hall when someone ran up and alerted them that smoke was coming from a nearby home. An off-duty firefighter who lives in the area also called to notify them about it and they were able to respond to the scene very quickly.

When the firefighters from Station 20 pulled up, they noticed light smoke coming from the residence and they made entry to attack the fire.

That’s when they were told that someone was possibly inside the structure so they conducted a primary search and located the resident.

They got him out and treated him on the scene and he was transported to the hospital. His condition is unknown, but he did suffer burns on his upper torso.

A pet python was also saved by CFD crews.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home suffered extensive fire, smoke and water damage.

A second alarm was called due to someone possibly being trapped in the house, but it was later canceled.

Responding units/agencies include: Squad 20, Quint 3, Ladder 1, Quint 1, Battalion 1, Battalion 2, Quint 24, Squad 1, CPD, HCEMS and EPB.

Chattanooga firefighters had an early morning house fire under control in a matter of minutes after finding a mobile home engulfed in flames.

Crews were called to a double wide trailer in the 8100 block of Old Cleveland Pike at 3 AM Tuesday. Neighbors called 911 to report it.

Firefighters attacked the fire from all sides of the house. It was called under control in 10 minutes, according to the battalion chief in command on the scene.

When it was safely possible, crews used thermal imaging cameras to look into the house from the exterior and found that there was no furniture or belongings inside.

Neighbors confirmed that there was no one living in the house and that it was being repaired.

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

EPB, CPD, HCEMS, and Tri-Community Fire Department provided assistance to CFD.

Quint 7, Squad 7, Quint 6, Quint 8 and Battalion 2 Chief David Thompson Jr. responded to the call. Thompson was the first to arrive and provided photos from the scene.

The Chattanooga Fire Department has policies and procedures in place to protect the wellbeing of firefighters working around the clock during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Those protocols have been implemented and are being closely followed.

When responding to calls of a sick person, CFD is limiting the number of responders who go into the room with the patient in an effort to reduce exposure while still providing emergency care.

If the patient is displaying symptoms of the virus, decontamination methods are followed and enforced.

If there is possible exposure, firefighters will be isolated at our training center for observation. They will be tested if they start to show symptoms.

911 dispatchers are assisting with EMS calls by asking various questions to pinpoint patients’ issues and if the situation does involve a respiratory illness and fever, we are treating the response with the necessary precautions.

Firefighters are equipped with gloves, N-95 masks and eye protection. This gear is what CFD always keeps in stock and it is part of our normal operations. We have reached out to several vendors to get more of these items and we are waiting to receive them, like many other public safety agencies.

To ensure the best staffing and response to calls for service, CFD has canceled all training events and public engagements.

Our call volume has been normal, with a slight uptick in patients reporting respiratory problems.

The department is also looking at pulling back on our response to non-emergency calls in order to have firefighters ready and healthy to handle major emergencies.

“We can’t predict what will happen next, but we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best outcome. We know the citizens of Chattanooga are relying on us,” Fire Chief Phil Hyman said.

All of our fire stations remain open and operational.

Currently, there are several Chattanooga firefighters in isolation and others are under self-quarantine after being potentially exposed to people with COVID-19 symptoms.

On Friday, two firefighters responded to a call involving someone with respiratory issues and as a result, they are being quarantined at home. On Sunday, a firefighter came to work with a respiratory illness which resulted in the accompanying crew being isolated and observed at the Fire Training Center for the time being.

As a result, the training center has been shut down and access denied with the exception of the isolated firefighters. The sick firefighter was set home to self-quarantine and he was tested for COVID-19 on Monday.

The isolation of the other firefighters on his crew will remain in place until testing results can be evaluated.

The Chattanooga Fire Department wants the public to know that in the midst of the current state of emergency due to COVID-19 concerns, our firefighters remain ready at all of our fire halls to respond to emergency calls.

“It is business as usual for our department. We still have to protect the public and get fire trucks out the door,” Fire Chief Phil Hyman said. “We join the city in a proactive stance when it comes to widespread prevention efforts as we serve the citizens during this time.”

Emergency response is the department’s primary duty and responsibility. To that end, all efforts will be made to ensure staffing for response coverage is maintained for all citizens.

The CFD will continue to provide response and mitigation for all types and intensities of incidents. This includes response to fires, EMS-related calls, rescues, and citizen-assist calls.

Firefighters are already equipped with personal protective equipment and gear (i.e. medical gloves, N-95 respirator masks, shields or eye protection, impervious garments and/or turnout gear).

For now, the department has suspended extended training activities and classes to maximize staffing. All public events have been cancelled in the coming weeks in order to reduce exposure potential and to concentrate staffing to response.

“Our message right now as we carry on our duties is to be more vigilant in our personal care and interactions with the public, following all health guidelines set forth by local, state and federal officials,” stated Executive Deputy Chief Seth Miller.