Reckless Burning Incident

Chattanooga Fire urges citizens to use caution when burning outside after a fire on Wednesday afternoon in the East Lake area. At 1:40PM, companies responded to the 2800 block of 3rd Avenue. A resident was burning debris in a barrel which was left unattended. Being that it was a windy day, embers spread to undergrowth and dry leaves which caused the fire to spread to the surrounding grass and then to a neighbor’s shed. The shed was damaged, as well as a van next to the shed. Firefighters extinguished the flames and contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to nearby homes. The resident at fault did not have a permit and was cited for reckless burning. There were no injuries. If you do any type of burning, keep a water source on hand and never leave it unattended.