Shortly after 9pm, Tuesday, February 7, 2006, Firefighters from Catoosa County, Georgia Fire Rescue responded to a report of a residential structure fire at 731 Dug Road near the Georgia, Tennessee border.
Firefighters from Catoosa stations 1 and 3 arrived within minutes. The first arriving engine company reported heavy smoke from the front of the two story residence.
Firefighters immediately began an interior attack and had hte fire under control within thirty minutes but the home suffered heavy damage and is unihabitable.
The quick work of Catoosa County Firefighters kept the blaze from spreading to nearby structures.
The fire is believed to have started in the basement where young middle school boys were lighting boxes on fire and the fire either got away from them or they went on to something else believing that the fire was out.
Shortly thereafter several young girls inthe house smelled smoke, discovered the fire, and attempted to throw water on it to put it out.
When this did not work they called 911 and got out of the house.
One of the young boys suffered minor burns and was taken to the hospital but it is not believed his injuries are serious. A family dog is believed to have perished in the fire.
A damage estimate has not yet been released and the official cause of the fire is still under investigation.
