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| Late Night Fire for Catoosa County RINGGOLD, GA – Just about the time the clock struck midnight on Tuesday morning, December 22, 2009, the Catoosa County Fire Department received a call of a residential structure fire on Condo Circle in downtown Ringgold. Engine 1, Engine 3, Engine 6, Quint 3 and Tanker 11 were immediately dispatched. Engine 1 arrived on the scene in just minutes at Tennessee Street and Condo Circle to find a two story wood frame with heavy fire from the rear. Firefighters pulled an inch and three quarter line to prepare for an interior attack. Moments later, Battalion 1, Battalion Chief Mike Worley, arrived and assumed command. Within minutes, all other apparatus arrived and pulled additional lines. Four inch and three quarter lines were in operation and one two and a half was pulled. With fire blowing out the second floor dormer windows on the B and D sides firefighters initiated an aggressive interior attack. Command was able to determine that the house was unoccupied. As the fire grew in intensity and the building became unstable Battalion 1 made the decision to pull firefighters out for the moment and take up a defensive posture. After a few minutes of putting massive amounts of water on the fire, another interior attack was undertaken from the rear of the structure while additional firefighters went to the first floor roof on the D side and poured water into open windows. They eventually made their way into the structure and were able to get the fire under control. Additional resources were used from the Georgia Department of Corrections Fire Department (GDC 9) and Fort Oglethorpe Air/Light 1. The Tri Community Volunteer Fire Department (Tennessee) backed an engine company into Catoosa County Station 1 for standby. Angel EMS was on the scene for any potential medical problems but no injuries were reported. The exact cause and origin of the fire are unknown and under investigation at this time. The fire destroyed the entire second floor of the building and a majority of the first floor. What was not consumed by fire suffered major smoke, heat and water damage. The house appeared to be unoccupied and had a For Sale sign in the front yard. |
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