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| Afternoon Save Made in East Ridge Church Fire EAST RIDGE, TENN – Friday, June 6, 2008 – At 12:04 PM, the East Ridge Fire Department was dispatched to 4201 Ringgold Road, on a report of a church fire at the East Ridge Baptist Church. Thanks to the church being directly across from East Ridge Fire Station number 1, firefighters arrived in less than 1 minute. Engine 1 reported a working fire in the attic area with heavy smoke to the rear of the sanctuary and flames showing from one portion of the eaves. An all call for all East Ridge firefighters was issued along with a request for mutual aid from Fort Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue in Georgia for an engine company and a ladder. East Ridge Engine 1 and Quint 3 set up to the rear of the sanctuary and Fort Oglethorpe Ladder 1 put up the ladder in the front. Firefighters began an aggressive hit on the fire from inside as well as working on the fire showing from eaves of the building. The building is a large two story structure with an attic. Due to the size of the building, the difficulty firefighters were having reaching the fire and the extreme heat (temperatures were soaring over the 95 degree mark much of the afternoon) it was decided to call for additional resources. Fort Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue Engine 8, Catoosa County Fire Department Engine 1 and Quint 3, Rossville Fire Department Engine 3, and Walker County Emergency Services Task Force 5 all responded to the call for mutual aid along with several more pieces of apparatus from East Ridge Fire Department. Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescue Squad responded their mobile air unit (710) along with Rehab Truck 715. The fire had the potential to be catastrophic but thanks to the hard work of all firefighters on the scene, the fire was contained after about an hour and was mostly confined to the rear portion of the sanctuary and the roof above it. Damage estimates are about $100,000. The sanctuary is still usable but the church will probably use another building on the property for its services until repairs are made. The building was undergoing roof repairs when the fire broke out and it is believed that this may have contributed to the cause of the fire but an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause. There were no injuries as a result of the fire. Memorial EMS and Lifeguard EMS were both on the scene for standby. The East Ridge Police Department assisted on the scene as well. |
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