By Bruce Garner
Chattanooga (TN) firefighters were dispatched to a house fire shortly before 1:00 a.m. Thursday at 2607 Lockwood Avenue. The snow-covered roads made it difficult for the fire apparatus to get to the house, but they did get there.
Lt. Wadie Suttles with Engine 4 said fire was visible on one corner of the building. All of the residents were out of the house.
The fire appeared to be between the exterior and exterior wall of the house, and was spreading into the attic. Lt. Suttles said the firefighters attacked the fire from the inside and out, and managed to get the fire under control in about 20 minutes. No injuries were reported.
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The resident told firefighters that she was sleeping when a smoke alarm activated. When she went to the living room, she saw a lot of smoke coming from the fireplace. She wasn’t sure that was a problem until she heard someone yelling outside her house, saying the house was on fire.
Lt. Suttles believes the cause of the fire was accidental. He believes it started around the fireplace, but what exactly sparked the blaze remains undetermined. Most of the house was saved. The dollar loss was estimated at $10,000.
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Battalion Chief Rick Boatwright said it was very difficult for the fire trucks to get to the scene, and it was almost worse getting back out. Water from the fire hoses mixed with the snow to make for a slippery slush. The firefighters found it fairly effective to use their fire hoses to wash the snow and slush off the road, which eventually enabled them to leave.
Firefighters with Quint 10, Engine 15, and Quint 6 also responded to this fire.
