Chattanooga Fire Chief Randy ParkerNo fire deaths in city in 2012
Nobody in Chattanooga died in a fire-related death last year, the city’s fire department announced Tuesday.
Fire Chief Randy Parker said that, in part, nobody died in 2012 because the department educated residents about how to prevent fires. But Parker also added that some fires can’t be prevented and that last year might have been lucky.
“We always strive to prevent all fire fatalities in Chattanooga, but we’re usually disappointed,” Parker said in a news release. “This is obviously good news for us and the city we serve.”
Most fire-related deaths happen before firefighters arrive, according to the news release, because of heat and toxic smoke. In 2011, eight people died from fires in Chattanooga. The year before, three people died.
Woman charged in auto burglary
Stephanie B. Honeycutt, 29, of Hixson, has been charged with two counts of burglary of an auto and two counts of theft in connection with incidents last week.