Man, two dogs die in early morning house fire
One man is dead and three other people are homeless after an early morning fire ripped through a Chattanooga house on Tuesday.
Fire crews responding to the call around 2:20 a.m. could see flames from several miles away, according to a news release.
Chattanooga Fire Department Lt. Justin McCommon said three of the four occupants of the home, located at 8604 Igou Gap Road, had made it safely out of the house when firefighters arrived, but a fourth person was still inside.
McCommon said crews went into rescue mode, with two firefighters entering through the front door and another two entering through the garage. As the fire grew more intense and broke through the roof, firefighters had to discontinue their search and pull out of the house, according to the release.
The firefighters were eventually able to get the
fire under control, but the house was considered a total loss. Once most of the fire had been extinguished, firefighters located the body of an adult male at the doorway between the kitchen and garage. Family members told firefighters the man stayed behind to get their dogs out. Two of those dogs perished in the blaze. A third dog found at the scene showed signs of smoke inhalation. Firefighters administered oxygen to the dog and it appeared to recover.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Chattanooga Police Department is assisting with the investigation, which is standard when a fatality is involved. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.