A commercial fire at West Rock, a company that sorts and bales discarded material to make it recyclable, damaged the building early Thursday morning.
The Chattanooga Fire Department responded to the fire alarm at West Rock around 1:20 a.m. Upon arrival, firefighters witnessed smoke coming from the building and used bolt cutters on the gate to gain access to the property.
The sprinkler system activated and contained the bulk of the fire to an area around the conveyor belt. Firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to locate any areas where fire was still present and extinguish it.
It took 30 minutes to get the fire completely extinguished. Damage was estimated to be $45,000.
The fire was determined to be unintentional, but the cause is still under investigation.