24 Residents Receiving Help From Red Cross
On Wednesday, an early-morning fire damaged a unit of an apartment complex on Fountain Avenue.
According to East Ridge Fire Chief Mike Williams, firefighters were called to the Summit apartments at 3725 Fountain Ave. just after 1 a.m. When they arrived heavy smoke was coming from the building.
Search crews deployed ladders to the second floor apartments and entered the building through the ground floors to conduct search and rescue operations.
Nine people inside the building were rescued, Chief Williams said. Many of those rescued were asleep and the heavy smoke required them to exit the building using fire department ladders. Several pets were found and rescued as well.
Chief Williams said that a fire crew went in the ground floor and located and extinguished the fire. The origin and cause of the fire is being investigated. After a rekindle later on Wednesday afternoon, Chief Williams said the cause of the fire was a clothes dryer had caught fire. Estimated damage of the blaze was set at $30,000.
This was the second fire at the apartment complex this year. According to East Ridge News Online archives, in the late afternoon of Jan. 6, fire damaged an apartment unit. A number of residents had to be evacuated from a second-story balcony.
A second alarm was requested through Tri State Mutual Aid for additional manpower and equipment to the scene. Mutual Aid also provided coverage at our stations during the incident.
1st Alarm Companies to the scene were: East Ridge Fire Chief, East Ridge Battalion Chief, East Ridge Squad 1, East Ridge Ladder 1, East Ridge Squad 2, East Ridge Quint 2, East Ridge Squad 3, Hamilton County EMS Medic 1.
2nd Alarm Companies to the scene were: Chattanooga Battalion 2, Chattanooga Squad 13, Chattanooga Ladder 13, Catoosa County Engine 7. Rossville Engine 3, Tri State Mutual Aid Assistant Coordinator MA 5, Hamilton County Rescue Rehab.
Fill In companies at our stations: Tri Community Chief, Tri Community Engine 1243, Chattanooga Engine 15.
