photo by John Schultz
A fire destroyed a barbeque restaurant on Highway 58 on Friday afternoon.
Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to the Highway 58 BBQ around 6 p.m. The business is located at 4921 Highway 58. Though the business was housed in a small building, the flames and smoke could be seen from a long distance away.
Captain Teri Rose with Quint 6 said the fire started in the open outside structure where the cooker, smoker and grease trap were located.
The power pole beside the structure had also caught on fire and the power line going to the business had burnt in two. As other fire companies began to arrive on the scene, firefighters with Quint 6 began work to extinguish the fire with hand-held hose lines. An employee with the business told Captain Rose that when the fire was discovered, everyone in the business got out safely.
The firefighters had the fire out in roughly 15 minutes. The dollar loss was estimated at $51,000 for the building and its contents.
The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental. Captain Rose said several eyewitnesses saw the fire initially coming from the area around the grease trap. From there the fire spread to the rest of the shed.