Body Found At Site Of 4Th Ave Fire

There’s a new development in an East Lake fire that left a Chattanooga firefighter injured. A body was discovered at the site today and the fatality is now under investigation. The fire happened in the early morning hours of Sunday (1/9/22) at 2603 4th Avenue at a condemned building. Upon arrival, multiple Blue Shift companies found a one-story commercial structure fully involved in fire with flames through the roof. A defensive attack was launched because of the conditions present. Due to the building being condemned and structurally compromised and due to the amount of fire, it was not safe for firefighters to go inside the burning structure so they fought the blaze from the outside. Engine 5 pulled a line to attack the fire through the front of the building. Ladder 1 took the deluge gun and provided a water curtain to protect a nearby residence. Squad 1 and Squad 13 took an attack line to another side of the building for defensive operations. Ladder 5 set up their aerial waterway and conducted aerial fire operations. A mayday was called due to a partial front façade collapse. One firefighter was injured when the front façade collapsed on top of them at the sidewalk, striking him down with debris. The firefighter was transported to the hospital by HCEMS. He was treated and later released. Meanwhile, back out at the scene on Sunday morning, Chattanooga Public Works used heavy machinery to demolish what was left of the structure due to safety concerns about the building’s stability. A thorough search was made of the abandoned, collapsed structure as it was dismantled by Public Works to look for any possible victims and nothing was found at the time. On Tuesday morning (1/11), someone was sifting through the rubble and located human remains. They notified 911 and CFD and CPD responded. A body was located in the piled up debris. CFD and CPD will be investigating the fatality. The body will be taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause of the fire also remains under investigation.

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