Chattanooga man battles fire on roof with garden hose

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5017 Mimosa Circle

5017 Mimosa Circle

Chattanooga firefighters got surprise assistance fighting a house fire Monday morning: A man perched on the home's roof, armed with a garden hose.

Around 10 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to a reported blaze at 5017 Mimosa Circle, according to fire department spokesman Bruce Garner.

As firefighters arrived, they found Daryl Ballanger on the roof with a garden hose in hand, trying to douse a fire spreading in the attic.

Ballanger couldn't get to all the flame, but Garner said the garden hose did help contain the blaze until firefighters reached the attic.

Firefighters contained most of the damage to part of the attic and roof and an exterior wall, Garner said. No injuries were reported, he said.

Ballanger told investigators he was at the home, talking with the homeowner about doing some renovation work. When the homeowner said she was having some problems with the lights in the kitchen, Ballanger went to the breaker box and flipped on a breaker that had tripped.

About 10 minutes later, he said he began smelling smoke and saw flames in the attic.

Garner said the cause of the fire will be listed as accidental.

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