Lonnie Ray Kaufmann / Photo by Hamilton County Sheriff's OfficeA Chattanooga man has been arrested and charged with aggravated arson in connection with a Sunday fire at The Overlook Apartments on Boynton Drive, according to the Chattanooga Fire Department.
Firefighters arrived at the scene at around 12:44 p.m. after a smoke alarm went off on the second floor. They found smoke in the hallway and heavy smoke and flames in Kaufmann's apartment. The fire was quickly extinguished and the area was ventilated before residents returned to their apartments, a fire department news release said.
Investigators determined that Lonnie Ray Kaufmann, 57, intentionally set two fires in his apartment that endangered the lives of everyone in the high-rise building, according to the release. Kaufmann was taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation treatment before being taken to Silverdale Detention Center.
- Compiled by Kim Sebring