Article: Meth lab may be cause of motel fire

Chattanooga fire officials have estimated the dollar loss at about $750,000 from Monday’s fire at the Airport Inn on Lee Highway.

About eight to 10 rooms were damaged by fire or water, and some adjacent rooms sustained smoke damage, said Lt. Anthony Moore with the Chattanooga Fired Department’s fire investigation division.

Chattanooga firefighters saved most of the two-story, 80-room building. No injuries were reported, said fire department spokesman Bruce Garner in a news release.

The cause of the fire appears to be accidental in nature, Lt. Moore said. The fire started next to the building, he said, and burn patterns indicate the blaze started in some mulch and traveled up a wooden column into the attic.

From there, the flames spread quickly through the attic until the firefighters gained access to extinguish the fire.

The exact cause may never be confirmed, Mr. Garner said.

However, Lt. Moore said many cigarette butts were found in the area where the fire started.

Representatives with the fire marshal’s office also will be checking into reports that the fire alarm system did not work, Mr. Garner said. If infractions are found, the owner could be cited for a misdemeanor charge, he said.

Firefighters on Monday battled a blaze that forced the evacuation of a Chattanooga motel.
Fire Department spokesman Bruce Garner said six fire companies and 12 engines responded to the fire at the Airport Inn on Lee Highway. He said firefighters battled the blaze for more than an hour.
Mr. Garner said the fire started in a second-floor room and spread to the attic, making it difficult to fight. The entire building was evacuated, officials said.
One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion and another was taken off duty after showing signs of it, Mr. Garner said.
Owner Sanjay Acharya said 20 rooms in the 79-room motel were occupied.

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Chattanooga: Airport Inn fire loss estimated at $750,000