With flames shooting out the windows and roof, the firefighters went inside the burning structure and pulled out two victims.
photo by Bruce Garner
Chattanooga firefighters and paramedics with Hamilton County EMS huddle around the female victim in the yard, administering CPR before rushing her to Erlanger Medical Center.
photo by Bruce Garner
For the second time in three days, a house fire has resulted in tragedy with a 35-year-old woman dying and a man critically injured in North Chattanooga.
At 10:13 a.m. on Wednesday, Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to a reported house fire with entrapment at 220 Houser St. The first firefighters on the scene saw flames shooting out windows and part of the roof. Having been told that people might still be inside, the firefighters grabbed hand-held hose lines and made their way inside.
The firefighters found two adults in the house and carried them outside. Both victims appeared to be suffering from severe burns and smoke inhalation. Captain David Thompson, Jr. said the woman was not breathing, so the firefighters immediately started CPR on her. Both victims were handed off to paramedics with Hamilton County EMS, who rushed them to Erlanger Hospital.
Details are being obtained on exactly what happened with the fire, but three children were also reportedly in the house when the fire broke out. A neighbor told firefighters that when he saw that the house was on fire, he ran to it and tried to alert the family. Neighbors said the children ran to their grandmother's house, which is a short distance around the block.
When Battalion Chief Lesley Morgan learned about the children, she asked EMS to go check on them. Captain Wade Batson with Hamilton County EMS said two of the children, ages nine and 10, were transported to Children’s Hospital at Erlanger for minor burns and smoke inhalation. The third child appeared to be uninjured.
The woman died at 2:36 p.m. The man was flown to the burn unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee are providing assistance to the family, including the three children.
The house was a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Major Crimes Division of the Chattanooga Police Department is also assisting with the investigation, which is standard protocol when serious injuries are involved.
Just two days ago, on Monday, a 25-year-old woman died in a house fire at 1332 Highland Way. That was the first fire-related death in Chattanooga for 2014.
To see video by Bruce Garner, click here and here.