Worker hospitalized after Hampton apartment fire

Worker hospitalized after Hampton apartment fire — dailypress.com
HAMPTON – A maintenance worker was transported to Hampton Sentara hospital after suffering the effects of smoke inhalation during an apartment fire in the city Tuesday morning.

Maintenance workers discovered the fire at 101 W. Pembroke Ave, and attempted to extinguish it, but realized the fire was more than they could handle. The worker, who opened the door to the burning apartment, was transported to the Hampton Sentara hospital for smoke inhalation.

Hampton Fire units arrived on scene at 10:58 am to find heavy smoke coming from a second story apartment window, fire marshal Anne-Marie Loughran, said.

Fire kills Lynch Station couple inside their home

Fire kills Lynch Station couple inside their home | Lynchburg News Advance
LYNCH STATION – A Saturday morning fire killed a Lynch Station couple inside their Leewood Road home and left nothing but the foundation and a deck standing.

The victims’ names were not released, pending notification of family members.

Capt. L.T. Guthrie, with the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, said a 911 call came in at 7:02 a.m., and firefighters arrived on the scene at 658 Leewood Road, just off Dearing Ford Road, at about 7:10.

Even then, the house was beyond recovery.

Will Copes, a firefighter in Lynchburg, lives right across the street. He said he had seen the house from the outside an hour before the call and hadn’t observed any sign of fire.

“At 6:00, I left to go hunting, and I didn’t see anything,” he said.

Cadaver dogs sent into Suffolk neighborhood

Cadaver dogs sent into Suffolk neighborhood – News – inRich.com
SUFFOLK — Bob Knott and his wife, Jo Ann, were standing this morning outside a police barricade at their neighborhood, Burnett’s Mill.

Like many residents of the community that bore the brunt of the yesterday’s storm damage, they have yet to get close enough to survey their home.

Authorities are sending cadaver dogs into the neighborhood to search for bodies, just in case.

The Knotts’ adult son was in the house at the time the storm hit, and he called them yesterday to say a tornado hit the house and they should come home, and that something had penetrated the walls.

3 tornadoes rip through Va.; more than 200 people hurt

ABC News: Trio of Twisters Rip Virginia, Obliterating Houses and Injuring 200
Weary residents and business owners, some awakening in emergency shelters, were preparing to see what was left of their homes and livelihoods Tuesday after three tornadoes smashed houses, tossed cars and injured than 200 residents.

One twister in this city outside Norfolk cut a fickle, zigzagging path 25 miles long through neighborhoods, obliterating some homes and spraying splintered wood across lawns while leaving those standing just a few feet away untouched.

Complete, up to the minute coverage of Monday’s tornadoes

WAVY TV 10 – News, Weather, Traffic, Sports for Hampton Roads, Virginia – North Eastern North Carolina – Complete, up to the minute coverage of Monday’s tornadoes
9:05 p.m.
Suffolk Police spokeswoman Debbie George tells WAVY.com the Burnett Mill neighborhood is under a mandatory evacuation. Hillpoint Farms is under a selective evacuation.

8:40 p.m.
SUFFOLK, Va. (AP) — The National Weather Service has confirmed that three tornadoes touched down in Virginia.

Meteorologist Bryan Jackson said the twisters hit Suffolk, Colonial Heights and Brunswick County on Monday afternoon.

Authorities said at least 200 people were injured. Property damage was widespread.

SUV flips near Tanglewood Mall

SUV flips near Tanglewood Mall | WSLS 10
An accident near Tanglewood Mall tied up traffic this afternoon.
It happened on the 220 off-ramp, connecting to Electric Road.
Roanoke County Police say an SUV ran into the back of a car and then flipped.

Hanover County boy, 14, dies after crash

Hanover County boy, 14, dies after crash – Richmond’s Entertainment, News, and Community Resource – inRich.com
A 14-year-old Mechanicsville boy died yesterday, eight days after he was struck by a car while trying to cross Cold Harbor Road in Hanover County, authorities said.

Robert Franklin Shim Hazelgrove, who was struck the evening of April 16 about three blocks from his house, died at VCU Medical Center, said Lt. Michael J. Trice of the Hanover Sheriff’s Office.

Trice said Hazelgrove, of the 7400 block of General Drive, was trying to cross Cold Harbor Road just north of Stonewall Parkway when he was hit by a car in the northbound lane.

Fatal fire on John Marshall Highway

Warren County Report: Fatal fire on John Marshall Highway
Chief Ronald A. Williamson announced that the Front Royal Police Department responded this morning to a house fire. The fire was reported at approximately 4:34 a.m.. Upon the arrival of officers at the scene, they found a two-store house, located at 1352 John Marshall Highway, engulfed in flames. Fire units then arrived on the scene and began efforts to extinguish the fire.

Fatal fire in Botetourt County claims the life of a Roanoke teacher

WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Fatal fire in Botetourt County claims the life of a Roanoke teacher
Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that killed a Botetourt County woman Sunday.

Firefighters were called to the home on Emerald Lake Drive near the Rainbow Forest section of the county.

Once they knocked down the flames, they found the body believed to be Melissa Rickman.

Rickman lived in the home with her husband, Anthony Lloyd Rickman, and their two children. She was a teacher at James Madison Middle School in Roanoke.

Waynesboro Fire

Waynesboro Fire
Fire fighters in Wayneboro took on an early morning fire at a factory on Main Street.

Officials believe a lightning strike at Virginia Metalcrafters ignited a shed behind the building.

Crews working the scene were there for about five hours. But they say they had things under control soon after they arrived

There’s about $10,000 worth of damage. Fire officials say there were no injuries.

Fire displaces Rochelle family

Fire displaces Rochelle family | Madison News
Members of a Madison County family hope they can soon return to live in their Rochelle home, which was seriously damaged during an April 10 fire.

Firefighters arriving on the scene of the blaze at 170 Shiffletts Corner Lane in Rochelle found the home there engulfed in flames. Their quick work was able to save the two-story, brick structure, but the family now has its hands full cleaning up smoke and water damage.

“They weren’t completely burned out, but they need some more work done before they can move back in,” said the Rev. Maurice Evans, who is both their neighbor and pastor of the church the family attends, Elk Run Baptist Church in Rochelle.

The family – Mary Franklin; her son and daughter, Justin Franklin and Ashley Franklin; and Ashley’s 11-month-old baby, Roman Sims – are staying temporarily at the Madison County residence of Mary Franklin’s mother, Margaret Franklin, Pastor Evans said.

Home blazes into ruins

Home blazes into ruins | New Era Progress
A house fire on the morning of April 15 has left an Amherst County couple homeless.

At 10:03 a.m. emergency dispatchers received the call and responded to a single-story wood-frame house on Woodrow Avenue, in Monroe, according to Amherst County Public Safety Director Gary Roakes.

Firefighters from the Monelison Volunteer Fire Department and Amherst Fire Department responded to the scene, the first arriving at 10:16.

Roakes said the fire was under control within about 35 minutes, but the fire caused enough damage to call the house a total loss.

“The firefighters did a really good job, as far as containing the fire to the front part of the house,” he said, but given the age of the house and the extent of the smoke damage, the house was not salvageable.

Blaze damages attic in vacant Roanoke house

Blaze damages attic in vacant Roanoke house – Roanoke.com
A fire erupted early Sunday morning in a vacant Roanoke house.

Roanoke Fire-EMS Department spokeswoman Tiffany Bradbury said firefighters responded to a call shortly before 5:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of Rorer Avenue Southwest

They found heavy smoke coming from the attic. The fire was found to have started in the attic and was contained there, Bradbury said. It was under control within 20 minutes after crews arrived.

No cause or damage estimates have been given, and the fire is under investigation.

– Jessica Marcy

Fire victim taught at James Madison Middle School

Fire victim taught at James Madison Middle School – Roanoke.com
The woman killed in a house fire in Botetourt County on Sunday was a “star teacher” at James Madison Middle School, Roanoke school officials said today.

Melissa Rickman, 38, taught seventh grade math at the school. She’d been a teacher there for three years, said city superintendent Rita Bishop.

The school has brought in counselors for both teachers and students, Bishop said.

“We’ve just lost a star teacher,” she said.

Crews responded to a call on Emerald Lake Drive near Troutville shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday. They found the house fully engulfed in flames, and after extinguishing the blaze, they found a body in the debris, according to Botetourt County Sheriff Ronnie Sprinkle.

Injured firefighter expected to survive

Injured firefighter expected to survive | Charlottesville Daily Progress
A Virginia Department of Forestry official who suffered extensive burns while fighting a massive brush fire in Buckingham County is expected to survive.
Steve Morris, a 43-year-old forest technician from Cumberland County, was fighting the 600-acre blaze Saturday with a bulldozer when the wind shifted and blew the flames in his direction.
“It was quick. He tried to get out of the dozer as quickly as he could, but it happened faster than you could bat an eye,” said Greg Winston, the department’s regional forester. “A wall of fire engulfed him.”
Morris suffered third-degree burns to his hands and second-degree burns to his neck, thighs and chest. He is being treated in the intensive care unit at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Firefighters Contain 2-Alarm Fire in Arlington

Firefighters Contain 2-Alarm Fire in Arlington|ABC 7 News
Arlington Firefighters responded to a call for a house fire early Saturday morning.

The fire went to two alarms, according to officials. The home was occupied at the time of the fire, but no injuries have been reported.

Authorities received the call at 5:37 a.m. and extinguished the fire by 8:18 a.m.

Red Cross was notified to assist and the fire is currently under investigation.

Firefighters endorse 4 in city races

Firefighters endorse 4 in city races | Lynchburg News Advance
By Alicia Petska

Published: April 17, 2008

Lynchburg firefighters are endorsing City Council candidates Mike Gillette Ward I, Ceasor Johnson Ward II, Jeff Helgeson Ward III and Turner Perrow Ward IV.

The decisions were announced Wednesday by the Lynchburg Fire Fighters Association following a public forum with the candidates the night before. The association, which represents 170 active firefighters and 16 retirees, also took into consideration answers to a written questionnaire distributed to the hopefuls. The responses to those were not made public.

In a written statement, President Jason Campbell said the group’s support was based on candidates’ commitment to public safety and willingness to take a leadership role on issues that specifically affect firefighters.

Woodbridge Fire Displaces Eleven People

COX.net for Northern Virginia – Local: Woodbridge Fire Displaces Eleven People
(Woodbridge, VA) — Eleven people have been displaced after a house fire in Woodbridge this afternoon. Prince William County Fire and Rescue crews responded to the fire in the 13-thousand block of Mathews Drive at around 12:30 p.m. According to the “Potomac News,” the blaze was put out in about ten minutes, but the fire marshal estimates about 70-percent damage to the home. Four people were in the building when the fire broke out and they were able to escape without injury. There is no word on a cause or damage estimates at this time.

Brush fire in Roanoke County extinguished

WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Brush fire in Roanoke County extinguished
Fire crews are trying to determine what sparked a fire on Laurel Mountain Drive in northeast Roanoke County near Hanging Rock. Upon arrival, crews found a pile of lumber and the surrounding woods on fire. A home was about 50 feet from the burning debris.

The fire started around noon. Crews had the flames extinguished within an hour and a half. About half an acre burned, but the nearby home was not damaged. No injuries were reported.

Crews investigate fire at abandoned Hopewell school

Crews investigate fire at abandoned Hopewell school | NBC12 | Virginia News
A fire at an old school building in Hopewell is under investigation.

Crews were called to the corner of West City Point Road and South 12th Street late Sunday afternoon.

Investigators say structural damage to the boarded-up building appears minimal, but equipment in one old classroom where the fire contained was badly burned.

UPDATE: All Lanes Open on I-81 After Tanker Truck Explosion in Bristol, VA – News – TriCities.com

UPDATE: All Lanes Open on I-81 After Tanker Truck Explosion in Bristol, VA – News – TriCities.com
The tanker truck has been removed from the side of Interstate 81 at Exit 7. All interstate laes are open.

The Bristol Herald Courier’s David Crigger reports there is a debris field around the explosion site, and guests at a nearby hotel are finding damaged cars in the parking lot.

No one was injured.

First responders put to the “test” after flames fill local hospital

WAVY TV 10 – News, Weather, Traffic, Sports for Hampton Roads, Virginia – North Eastern North Carolina – First responders put to the “test” after flames fill local hospital
NORFOLK, VA. (WAVY.com) — In the background, there’s an unmistakable sign that something is wrong.

Patients at their most vulnerable are moved from floor to floor.

One said, “I’m feeling ok. I’m a little shaken up.”

Nurses try to calm fears during an uncertain time.

Linda Estep is an Infection Control Practitioner with Sentara. “I’ve learned that it really is difficult in the actual situation, probably would be even worse with the real smoke. We had theatrical smoke, which made it difficult to see,” she said.

“Norfolk General Hospital, this is a drill,” said a voice over the hospital loudspeaker.

Drill or not, the stakes are real.

Pursuit of I-64 speeder ends in crash, fire

Pursuit of I-64 speeder ends in crash, fire — Hampton Coliseum — dailypress.com
Hampton – A police pursuit ended in Hampton early Tuesday when the driver lost control of her car, which overturned and caught fire.

Tarol Marie Lane, 25, of Williamsburg, suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash. The chase began when police clocked her driving 92 mph around 5 a.m.

Hundreds gather to honor Henrico firefighter

Hundreds gather to honor Henrico firefighter | NBC12 | Home
Family and friends gathered in Henrico County today to honor a fallen firefighter.

30-year-old Joseph Rizenthaler, known to most of his family and friends as either Jude or Cletus was killed last Sunday in a freak accident at his home in New Kent County.

Authorities say his car rolled forward as he was leaving for work, pinning him between it and the door that was resting against a tree.

Ritzenthaler had dedicated his life to serving others.

He worked as a medic in the military and had been working for the Henrico County Fire Department for nearly six years.

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday morning to mourn the loss of a life cut short.

Fire damages Hampton home

Fire damages Hampton home | HAMPTON | WVEC.com | News for Hampton Roads, Virginia
HAMPTON – A woman and her teenage son are being helped by the Red Cross after fire forced them from their home.

It happened around 6:30 p.m. Sunday on Quash Street in the Carver Court section.

Firefighters say fire started when a pot was left on a gas stove in the kitchen and quickly spread to the attic.

25% of the structure was damaged by fire and the rest of the house had heavy smoke damage, said Hampton Fire Marshal Anne-Marie Loughran.