Firefighters battled tough conditions and heat exhaustion Thursday night trying to save a large Hixson house engulfed in flames, fire officials said.
Despite their efforts, the house, which was still under construction off Hixson Pike, was gutted by the fire.
Firefighters from Station 19 in Hixson were dispatched about 8:30 p.m. to investigate “smoke in the area” in the woods behind the Food Lion, according to Bruce Garner, spokesman for the Chattanooga Fire Department. Firefighters soon determined the smoke was billowing from a nearby house on Big Ridge Road.
The firefighters faced an uphill battle, Mr. Garner said. The driveway was too steep for the fire truck, and the firefighters also had to lay roughly 2,000 feet of hose along the road to get to the nearest hydrant.
Capt. Kelly Simmons said smoke was pouring out of the house, but no fire was initially visible. As the firefighters forced their way through the locked doors, they found flames and intense heat throughout the interior of the three-story structure.
It took firefighters from six fire companies roughly an hour to get the blaze under control, Mr. Garner said, and damage to the interior of the house was substantial.
Mr. Garner said several firefighters had to be treated on the scene for heat exhaustion. One firefighter was transported by Hamilton County EMS to a local hospital for additional observation.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials say.