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CHATTANOOGA, TENN – Sunday, August 9,2009 - 3:20 pm - With temperatures
hovering near the 100 degree mark the last thing Chattanooga firefighters
needed was a large fire. Unfortunately that is just what they got. It was
then that people living and working near River City Plastics, 2509 Orchard
Knob Avenue, began calling 9-1-1 reporting smoke and flames from the large
metal building. A full commercial assignment, six fire companies and a
Battalion Chief, were initially dispatched to the business.
The first arriving companies were met with heavy smoke and fire from the
back of the business. Battalion Chief Winston Shields immediately requested
a second alarm bringing six more apparatus, a second Battalion Chief and
several specialized units. Initial attempts were made to mount an interior
attack but firefighters quickly realized that the business was lost and a
defensive attack was ordered. Master streams from three ladder trucks,
several hand lines, and deck guns were placed into service. As fire was
knocked down in one area it would erupt in another. The building was filled
with petroleum based plastic products and many other combustible materials
making a huge fire load. Hours into the fire it was still not under control
and several different tactics were employed to get the fire under control. A
huge amount of foam was used and heavy equipment was brought in to help move
some of the fire load to get to the fire.
One nearby family was evacuated for their safety but no one was injured as a
result of the fire. Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescue provided rehab for
the exhausted firefighters. During the course of the afternoon and evening,
firefighters from other stations were brought in to swap out with those on
the scene to try to minimize the effects of the hot work. Hamilton County
EMS and the Chattanooga Police Department assisted at the scene.
River City Plastics is a plastic recycling business. It employs 6 to 7
people. The exact cause and origin of the fire are unknown at this time and
under investigation by the Chattanooga Fire Department Investigations
Division. A dollar amount of the loss has not yet been determined but the
business is a total loss. Firefighters will most likely remain on the scene
throughout the night hitting hot spots and ensuring that the fire is
extinguished.Story by Steve Kellam
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