Staff photo by Dan HenryEmergency personnel work to extinguish a fire in Collegedale on Friday.Five Collegedale families are looking for new homes after a fire damaged most of their apartment building.
The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call of a fire at 10270 Loma Cita Drive shortly before 4 p.m. Friday. But because of extreme heat and high humidity, the department requested help from the East Ridge Fire Department, the Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department, the Catoosa County Fire Department, the Bradley County Fire Rescue and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue.
Officials said the fire started from unattended cooking on the stove in the kitchen of the center bottom floor apartment.
As the fire burned, two separate motor vehicle accidents occurred in the area, so the Bradley County Fire Rescue and the Catoosa County Fire Department were diverted to those scenes.
Hamilton County Emergency Services spokeswoman Amy Maxwell said the apartment building was owned by Southern Adventist University. Four apartments in the building were destroyed by the fire.
No injuries were reported.
Southern Adventist University will help the five families displaced find temporary housing.