3/15/2009

An early morning fire caused considerable damage to a house in Brainerd today.  Rebecca Encizo told firefighters that when she returned home from an evening out last night after 12:30 a.m., she noticed a glow around the back of her house.  When she walked around to investigate, she discovered the whole back side of the house was engulfed in flames. 

Ms. Encizo called 911 and Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched to 411 Brown Road at 12:40 a.m.  Flames were shooting out the windows when the first firefighters arrived on the scene.  Battalion Chief Ben Biggs said the fire appears to have started in the kitchen, but it had time to spread to other parts of the house. 

Some firefighters made an interior attack on the fire, while others worked to get the fire extinguished on the back porch and roof.  The firefighters eventually got the blaze under control and parts of the house and its contents were saved.  Nevertheless, the dollar loss was estimated at around $80,000.  No injuries were reported.  Two pet dogs managed to escape the fire through a "doggie entrance" in one of the doors.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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