News Releases

Chattanooga firefighters conducted a quick attack and isolated a major house fire to the point of origin Friday morning in the Mountain Creek Road area. At 9:03 AM on 10/6/23, Red Shift companies were dispatched to the 700 block of Tiger Lily Trail off Read’s Lake Road following 911 reports of the back porch of a home on fire in the Mountain Creek Trails subdivision. A second report suggested that the flames had advanced inside the structure. Station 17’s crew could see heavy smoke coming from the area as they headed to the scene and on arrival, they found a large residential structure fire with flames coming through the roof. One resident was inside the house at the time of the fire, but they escaped. The crew caught a line to establish a water supply and their initial plan was to launch an offensive fire fight, but they were forced to go defensive due to the heavy volume of fire. They also had to act fast in order to protect other nearby homes. This is a triplex so they wanted to stop flames from spreading into adjoining units. An aerial was used to knock down the main body of fire. There was a partial collapse of the front garage area that hindered firefighters’ access. They continued working to extinguish hot spots and target any remaining pockets of fire. They also focused on salvaging neighbors’ belongings. The fire was out by 11 AM. The home where the fire originated is a total loss. The connecting residence in the triplex sustained smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no injuries. A cat was saved by firefighters. It was trapped under a bed and they cut out debris to free the scared pet. Quint 17, Quint 16, Ladder 19, Squad 19, Engine 22, Squad 1, Battalion 3, and Battalion 1 responded, along with CPD, EPB and HCEMS.

Public safety agencies rushed to the Chattanooga Regional Airport late Wednesday night after receiving reports that a FedEx 757 was on its final approach with a landing gear failure. The call came in at 11:04 PM on 10/4/23. Airport authorities, CFD, CPD and HCEMS quickly staged in position and waited as the aircraft circled before making its final descent with three people on board. The plane skidded off the end of the runway and came to a rest between the runway and Jubilee Drive in the safety area. There was no fire, only smoke from the engines. Great work by the highly trained pilots and airport personnel, as well as all responding agencies for their coordinated efforts. There were no injuries. Chattanooga Fire had Special Ops on the scene, along with Hazmat 1, Ladder 1, Squad 1, Quint 6, Tanker 3, Squad 7, Ladder 7, Tanker 8, Quint 21, Squad 13, Tanker 22, Quint 10, Tanker 21, Tanker 17, Engine 15, Ladder 13, Ladder 19, Quint 8, Battalion 1, Battalion 2, and Battalion 3 Red Shift.

The Chattanooga Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.” The theme works to educate everyone about the simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to the NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

“Year after year, cooking accounts for nearly half (49 percent) of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”

The CFD encourages all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme. “A cooking fire can grow quickly,” said Fire Marshal William Matlock. “We have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

Here are key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire:

1. Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a time to remind you that you are cooking.

2. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.

3. Have a kid and pet-free zone of at least three feet around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit spark.org.

A Chattanooga man has received additional prison time for the fatal fire that trapped his mother inside her home, killing her as she tried to escape. Joshua Wells, 33, was convicted of first degree murder back in July 2023 for the deadly 2016 arson on Rubio Street. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole and he could have been released at the age of 83. Today, he was sentenced for aggravated arson in the case, receiving an additional 23 years behind bars. Now, the earliest he can be paroled is when he is 105 years old. The Chattanooga Fire Department thanks District Attorney Coty Wamp and her prosecutors for joining our investigators in their fight for justice for the victim, Kimberly Wells. They never gave up on seeing this case through to the end. Additional gun and drug charges against Joshua Wells are still pending in the court system.