Six people were displaced Saturday when their home next to Northside Community Church caught fire, the Chattanooga Fire Department said.
Spokesman Bruce Garner said the alarm came in at 10:31 a.m. for the parsonage at 819 Mississippi Ave. Firefighters arrived to see flames explode from several first-floor windows, blowing glass and debris 20 to 30 feet.
Pastor Mitchell Reaves told firefighters the blaze started in a kitchenette that was being used to store items. He used a portable fire extinguisher on the flames until it was empty, then went for water. When he got back, the room was engulfed, according to Garner's release.
The family all got out safely and it took firefighters about 10 minutes to get the blaze under control. Fire damage was limited to the first-floor apartment, but other parts of the two-story building had substantial smoke damage.
The cause is under investigation.