The Chattanooga Fire Department received the alarm at 5:29 a.m. and responded to 1725 Rubio Street with four fire companies. Battalion Chief Lesley Morgan said smoke and flames were shooting out a bedroom window when the first firefighters arrived on the scene.
When neighbors told the firefighters that a grandmother, her son and two grandchildren children might still be inside the structure, Chief Morgan called for a second alarm response to bring in additional personnel to help. Meantime, Firefighter Engineer Andrew Thomas and Firefighter David Ruffin entered the house through the front door to begin searching for victims. Moments later, they found the grandmother in a corner of the living room, on the floor unconscious. They immediately picked her up and carried her out of the house, where she received treatment from other firefighters and paramedics with Hamilton County EMS.
Other firefighters continued to search the house for the children, but later found out the children were staying with their mother elsewhere. The victim's son was also away at the time.
The grandmother was transported by EMS to Erlanger Medical Center in critical condition, and after being evaluated, was expected to be flown by Life Force Air Medical later this morning to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia.
The dollar loss from the fire was estimated at $50,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Chattanooga police also provided valuable assistance on the scene.
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