Firefighters battled a garage fire in the 700 block of Stonecrest Circle on Tuesday, May 7, 2019. The East Brainerd area home was considered to be a total loss. / Photo provided by Amy Maxwell with Hamilton County Emergency Services UPDATE: An Ooltewah man has been identified as the victim of the fire.
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UPDATE: Firefighters have found a body in the residence, according to a news release from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.
Once the fire was extinguished, fire investigators confirmed the location of the body. The remains have been removed from the home and were taken to the medical examiner's office for identification, the release states.
The name of the deceased is being withheld pending identification and eventual notification of next of kin.
HCSO fire investigators and members of the Tri-Community Fire Department are jointly investigating the cause of the fire, according to the release.
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ORIGINAL STORY: An East Brainerd area home has been destroyed in a Tuesday afternoon fire, according to a news release from Hamilton County Emergency Services.
Firefighters with the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department arrived at the scene around 2:50 p.m. to find a fully involved garage fire in the 700 block of Stonecrest Circle, in the Hurricane Creek subdivision.
Firefighters battled a garage fire in the 700 block of Stonecrest Circle on Tuesday, May 7, 2019. The East Brainerd area home was considered to be a total loss. / Photo provided by Amy Maxwell with Hamilton County Emergency Services Fire officials also reported that a female motorist had driven over to the fire hose and bent the coupling attached to additional fire hose. Firefighters had to replace the damaged hose, which delayed them in getting water to the fire. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said the motorist will "receive consequences for her actions," the release states.
No injuries were reported. Tri-Community VFD confirmed the fire started in the garage, and the house is considered to be a total loss, according to the release.
The homeowner will reportedly be staying with friends. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.