A Chattanooga family was getting ready for church Sunday morning when they heard a loud pop on the back side of the house -- the sound of a window bursting from intense flames outside the house.
Larry Erskine, his wife, Nicole, and their 2-year-old daughter got out of the house without injury and called 911, said Bruce Garner, spokesman for the Chattanooga Fire Department.
Five companies of firefighters responded to the home at 2901 Diane Lane. The fire spread rapidly and a huge plume of smoke could be seen for miles around, Garner said.
Battalion Chief Chris Willmore said the firefighters fought the blaze from both inside and outside the house. In the process, Willmore said, the firefighters saved two of the family's three dogs.
The four-bedroom home was heavily damaged, but no damage estimate was immediately available, Garner said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.