By Pam Sohn
The Chattanooga Times Free Press
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — For the second time in less than two weeks, Chattanooga firefighters were called Sunday to battle a very large, extremely hot commercial fire in the Amnicola area.
“Fire investigators are working diligently to determine if there is anything to connect the two (fires),” fire department spokesman Bruce Garner said Sunday evening.
The site of a plastics recycling company at the corner of Orchard Knob Avenue and Appling Street burned so hot Sunday afternoon that firefighters with a dozen units had to fall back and work only in a defensive mode.
Mr. Garner said firefighters would have to let the River City Plastics building burn out and cool down before they will know for sure that no one was inside and what caused the blaze.
“It’s just too soon to say,” Mr. Garner said of possible casualties and the cause of the fire, which was reported about 3 p.m.
Heavy, black smoke rolled off the building for hours as firefighters poured water from ladder trucks into different parts of the large metal building.
“It’s very intensive heat. There’s lots of fuel in there,” Mr. Garner said. “It will take several hours to get it out.”
Even after 7 p.m. Sunday, Mr. Garner said firefighters still had not declared the blaze under control.
“The owner tells us the business was closed for the day and no one was supposed to be there,” he said.
On July 27 about 11 p.m., firefighters were called to battle a vacant warehouse fire about six blocks north of Sunday’s fire location.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are helping investigate the July fire — which was the largest blaze Chattanooga firefighters had faced in about five years.
Mr. Garner said Sunday it is too soon to say if the city will seek the ATF’s assistance to determine a cause for the most recent fire. He also said the investigation is continuing into the July fire.
The two-story warehouse on Elmendorf reportedly had been vacant for at least 10 years, but neighbors told firefighters the building previously was occupied by squatters.
The owners of River City Plastics, brothers Nathaniel and Ike Long, could not be reached for comment Sunday evening.
Jimmy Lowman, a resident of the house across the street from the burning business, asked firefighters to help him evacuate his mother, 65-year-old Ella Mae Lowman, who recently had suffered a stroke and must use a wheelchair.
Mr. Lowman said the smoke was heavy and blowing into their house.
“But she’s all right,” he said of his mother. “She’s in a house up the street now, and she’ll spend the night with my sister.”
Mr. Garner said River City Plastics’ co-owner Nathaniel Long told him the business has six or seven workers.
Copyright 2009 Chattanooga Publishing Company