Firefighters responded to a report of a house fire shortly after 1 this afternoon at 4214 3rd Ave., according to a Chattanooga Fire Department news release.
Smoke was showing from the eves of the house when the first firefighters arrived on the scene, Lt. Chris Blazek said.
Firefighters forced their way in through the back door and located the fire in the basement, but the flames had spread up into two bedrooms. The firefighters got the blaze under control in roughly 15 minutes. The fire damage was contained to the basement and two bedrooms.
The rest of the house had smoke and water damage.
The owner of the property told firefighters that the house was being rented to a mother and her two adult children. None of them were home at the time of the fire.
Investigators determined the cause of the fire was accidental, most likely from an electrical malfunction. The dollar loss was estimated to be $26,000.
Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Southeast Tennessee were called to the scene to provide assistance to the fire victims. Chattanooga police and Hamilton County EMS also provided assistance on the scene.