Chattanooga Pulse

Chattanooga fire investigators are trying to figure out what started a fire Thursday night that appears to have claimed a life.  The Chattanooga Fire Department was dispatched to the house fire at 1704 Bagwell Avenue at 10:05 p.m. 

Once on the scene, Captain Jody Houstrup with Quint 19 said the firefighters were met by a woman in the front yard, who said that someone might be trapped in a shed behind the house.  The shed was attached to the back side of the house and was fully engulfed in flames.

The flames were spreading to the house, but Captain Houstrup said the firefighters were able to get the fire under control fairly quickly, limiting the fire damage to the house.  While the firefighters were putting out the fire, they found the body of an adult male in or near the shed.  Details are still sketchy at this point, but another individual reportedly received burns to one of his hands and was transported by a private vehicle to an area hospital.  This was before the firefighters arrived.

The body was expected to be transported to the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office, where the cause of death, and identity, will be confirmed.  The Major Crimes Division with the Chattanooga Police Department is also investigating the incident, which is standard protocol when fatalities are involved.  Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.

An update on this incident will be provided as soon as additional information is obtained.