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Firefighters Save Woman

Firefighters Save Woman|ABC 13
A Pittsylvania County woman is recovering after her home caught fire early Monday morning. Firefighters say when they got to the house on Green Pond Road – the roof had already collapsed on one side. The family says they lost everything. But theyre grateful to be alive thanks to some firefighters who risked their own lives to save a complete stranger. Ashley Thompson woke up to a nightmare. Her mother shaking her, telling her to get up, telling her, their home was on fire.

Firefighter Injured, 4 Homes Damaged in Fire

Firefighter Injured, 4 Homes Damaged in Fire|NewsChannel 8
Three two-story homes were involved in a two-alarm fire Wednesday night, completely destroying one of the homes and injuring a firefighter.

It happened at 12405 Keating Drive in he Dale City area of Woodbridge around 4:30 p.m.

The two neighboring homes at 13403 and 13407 Keating Drive had some damage because the fire spread. No one was home at the time of the fire, although a dog was rescued from one of the homes by firefighters.

Six Virginia Firefighters Treated at Structure Fire

Six Virginia Firefighters Treated at Structure Fire – Firehouse.com News
Richmond firefighters were toned out around noon on July 7 for a working structure fire.

During the firefight six firefighters were treated for heat related injuries; one was transported to the hospital for chest pain.

Responding to 800 N. 22nd St were Quint 11, Truck 1, Quint 8, Quint 15, Rescue 1, and Battalion 1. Quint 11 arrived on the scene and reported a two-story single family with heavy smoke visible from all sides of the second floor.

Botetourt County blaze continues to grow

Botetourt County blaze continues to grow – Roanoke.com
A forest fire in Botetourt County is growing, said Barb Walker, a public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service.

Walker said that the service on Thursday night estimated the fire, located around Stone Coal Gap on Caldwell Mountain, was burning around 100 acres. Now they believe the fire, caused by lightning, to be larger, she said.

An accurate size of the fire is unavailable until rangers survey the land by helicopter, Walker said. But the exponential growth is unexpected, she said.

Four businesses damaged in fire in Richmond

NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Four businesses damaged in fire in Richmond
No word what caused a two-alarm fire that damaged four businesses in Richmond. The fire started around 11 a.m. Sunday morning in the 800 block of West Broad Street.

That portion of Broad Street was closed for hours as firefighters worked to get the fire under control.

The recent heat wave made fighting the blaze a challenge. Richmond Fire Department Lt. Mike Oprandy says, “We’ve been in a heat wave for the past couple of weeks, and we’ve had a couple of multiple alarm fires. So we are well rehearsed in rehab and getting the misting fans and water in place so our guys can rest and get re-hydrated. “

Trooper Struck On I-81

WRIC Richmond News and Weather – Trooper Struck On I-81
LEXINGTON, Va. AP – A Virginia State Police trooper was injured when a tractor-trailer hit his parked cruiser on Interstate 81 in Rockbridge County.

Sergeant Rob Carpentieri says trooper P.C. Gardner heard the UPS truck drive over the rumble strips just before 7 a.m. Monday and dove into the passengers seat moments before the truck hit his cruiser. The tractor trailer then hit a guardrail and went down an embankment.

Morning fire damages house in Willoughby area of Norfolk

Morning fire damages house in Willoughby area of Norfolk | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
NORFOLK

A home was heavily damaged by fire this morning in the 9600 block of 13th View Street. No one was injured, fire officials said.

Heavy smoke was coming out of the home when firefighters arrived on the scene at about 4:30 a.m., said Jack Goldhorn, Norfolk Fire-Rescue spokesman. Debris inside the home made the fire difficult to fight, but the flames were under control about an hour after firefighters arrived, he said.

The blaze is under investigation.

Chesterfield fire chief retiring

Chesterfield fire chief retiring – Search – inRich.com
Chesterfield County’s fire chief is retiring.

Paul W. Mauger, who has been chief of Fire and Emergency Medical Services since March 2005, will retire Sept. 1.

He has served with the department for 31 years, first as a dispatcher. He was appointed interim chief in November 2004 after Stephen A. Elswick retired, and he was named chief in March 2005.

Fires gut house, destroy barn

Fires gut house, destroy barn – The Franklin News Post
Fires gutted a house near Rocky Mount and destroyed a barn in Callaway over the weekend.

No one was injured when fire gutted a house on Hopkins Road in Rocky Mount Saturday night.

The homeowner, Gracie Cundiff, was visiting her daughter at the time of the incident, according to Franklin County Fire Marshal Bennie Russell. Cundiff, 78, lives alone.

Neighbors reported the fire around 11 p.m. Saturday, Russell said.

Update: VDOT Investigates Dangerous Drain

CBS 6 – WTVR, Richmond Va – Update: VDOT Investigates Dangerous Drain
A CBS 6 update, V-DOT is now investigating a drainage pipe that a toddler fell into Sunday in Dinwiddie. CBS 6 Senior Reporter Wayne Covil is the only station to talk to the child’s family and the man who rescued her from deep inside that pipe.

Thanks to Wayne’s call to the state, something is now being done about the dangerous situation.

Chief Ronnie Erb, Namozine Volunteer Fire Department says “This to me is very dangerous. That’s one reason you know i’d like to see you help out and get it fixed.”

Kay Knight the homeowner told CBS 6 Monday, she and her husband thought the builder would take care of it, “We got the builder out here and he basically told me, you know, there was nothing he could do, that he wasn’t going to do anything else to it, and it was too costly. So right off the bat, we were stuck.”

Lightning causes house fire in Henrico

NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Lightning causes house fire in Henrico
Lightning is to blame for house fire in Henrico. It happened Sunday evening in the 2900 block of Irisdale Road.

The family thought they heard a shot-gun blast. Then, smelled smoke.

Duane Stone, whose home caught on fire, says his neighbor saw exactly what happened.

Petersburg teen killed by train

NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Petersburg teen killed by train
New information as to why a Petersburg teenager may have been killed by an oncoming train. The incident happened in the small town of Waverly in Sussex County on Sunday afternoon.

Sixteen-year-old Malcolm Pezzano was struck as he was bent down to tie his shoe.

Waverly Police are still investigating what happened but, believe Pezzano may have thought he had more time than he did.

Tornado confirmed in Chesterfield, Roanoke

NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Tornado confirmed in Chesterfield, Roanoke
The National Weather Service has confirmed that a EF-0 tornando touched down in Chesterfield during the storm Tuesday night. It happened near the Woodlake subdivion off Hull Street Road.

NOAA says the damage path was 20 yards wide and a quarter mile in length. Most of the damage was branches and trees scattered across neighborhoods.

Tornado touches down in Roanoke

Tornado touches down in Roanoke | Lynchburg News Advance
At least one tornado touched down in Roanoke on Tuesday night amid hours of heavy rain and tornado warnings throughout Central and Southwest Virginia.

At alternate points during the night, Bedford County, the City of Bedford, Campbell County and Appomattox County were all under tornado warnings, along with surrounding counties.

Answering a new call: Chesapeake’s fire chief plans a career in law

Answering a new call: Chesapeake’s fire chief plans a career in law | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
For the past four years, fire Chief Steve Best has carried his blue L.L. Bean bookbag to work. He’s eaten peanut butter crackers for dinner more nights than he can count and sat in classes until 10 p.m.

Best has studied in his city office over lunch breaks and taken leave from work to cram for finals. There have been weekend trips to the Outer Banks with a laptop but no real family vacations.

Fiery crash causes 15-mile backup in Caroline

NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Fiery crash causes 15-mile backup in Caroline
A fiery crash caused a 15-mile backup on I-95 north yesterday.

Police say a tractor trailer side-swiped a car near Ladysmith in Caroline County yesterday morning, causing the truck to burst into flames.

Two people in the car were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the truck was not injured.

Fire at shopping center in Brandermill

NBC12 News, Weather Sports, Traffic, and Programming Guide for Richmond, VA | Fire at shopping center in Brandermill
Fire officials credit a quick 9-1-1 call with keeping fire damage to a minimum at the Market Square Shopping Center.

The fire started about 2 PM Tuesday afternoon, near an electrical panel in an office suite on the second floor.

One person who was working in the area received minor burn injuries.

Crews were able to put out the fire before any damage was done.

Slow Down, Move Over

Slow Down, Move Over
Virginia State Police are out in big numbers this Memorial Day weekend. They’re trying to reduce car crashes while keeping themselves and other emergency services personnel safe.

Rockingham County firefighter Bryan Smith only has pictures to show him what happened when he was hit by a car while attending to an accident on Interstate-81 April 7, 2007.

“My nose was completely crushed. I had some teeth knocked out. Fractured C6 vertebrae in my neck. A fractured left arm. My shattered elbow,” says Smith describing his injuries. The list goes on from there.

The Winchester Star

The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — For 137 years, the noble figure of “Old Uncle Jake Barnhart” has presided over the city skyline.

The 6-foot-tall copper weather vane has moved with the wind above the Rouss Fire Company at 3 N. Braddock St. since at least 1871 — when its presence was first recorded in the Rouss Fire Company meeting minutes.

But the history of how the weather vane earned its placement and name remain a mystery.
“Our problem is we don’t know how old ‘Uncle Jake’ is,” said Dustin Bowers, 28, a volunteer with the Rouss Fire Company who has researched the history of the fire company for the past five months. “It’s something that’s been over Winchester for more than 100 years and no one knew anything about it.”

Rescue members injured in crash

Rescue members injured in crash – Search – inRich.com
Three members of a Richmond Ambulance Authority crew were among seven people injured in back-to-back crashes at a city intersection yesterday.

None of the three ambulance crew members suffered life-threatening injuries, said Chip Decker, the ambulance authority’s chief operating officer. Two crew members were released within hours of the accident, and another was likely to be hospitalized overnight for further examination, he said.

Arlington Unveils New 9-1-1 Center

WUSA9.com – Arlington Unveils New 9-1-1 Center
Arlington County emergency managers know about emergencies especially with the Pentagon in the county. That was perhaps part of the motivation behind the county’s new emergency communications center (ECC) which was unveiled on Friday.
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Robert Griffin, emergency management director, called it a “new day for communications and what emergency communications can bring to the whole public safety family.”

Two rescued from fire in apartment

Two rescued from fire in apartment — — VAGazette.com
WILLIAMSBURG – Two firefighters used a ladder from a construction crew to rescue two people trapped on the second floor of a burning apartment building on Merrimac Trail.

The blaze was apparently set intentionally, and a 15-year-old boy has been charged with arson.

Firefighters were called to the Colonial Pines apartment complex around 4 p.m. Thursday. The 911 call indicated that two people were believed to be in Apartment 228C.

Frustration grows on burned block as cleanup efforts stall

Frustration grows on burned block as cleanup efforts stall | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
Five months after a predawn fire destroyed the historic Zion Baptist Church and two High Street buildings, there’s more rubble than revitalization to the 600 block.

Barbara Vincent Hester, owner of Vincent Hester Gallery, said she did not expect the block to remain in ruins for so long. Kenneth Woolard, co-owner of Way Back Yonder antique store, is disappointed as well – but not surprised.

Hampton apartment fire displaces 2

Hampton apartment fire displaces 2 — — dailypress.com
HAMPTON – — A 19-year-old woman suffered minor cuts Thursday night after she jumped out a first-floor window to escape a grease fire on the stove in her Beacons Way apartment, near Hampton University.

The woman’s husband, Brett Vorderstrasse, was cooking with a pan of grease that overheated and was set ablaze, said Anne-Marie Loughran, fire marshal with Hampton Fire & Rescue. Vorderstrasse turned the heat off on the stove and then threw water on the grease, which spread the fire.

Woman, father escape Hampton house fire

Woman, father escape Hampton house fire — — dailypress.com
HAMPTON – Two people escaped from a house fire in Hampton late last night.

Fire marshal Anne-Marie Loughran said an adult woman and her father got out unharmed after a fire started in a back bedroom of their home on Garrow Circle just after 11 p.m. Thursday.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

Fire levels Gordonsville florist

Fire levels Gordonsville florist | Orange News
A call around 4 a.m. last Friday morning brought firefighters from Gordonsville, Barboursville, Orange and Trevilians to the two-story Colonial Florist and Antiques building next to the railroad underpass in Gordonsville.

Fire in Fan forces residents of five homes to evacuate

Fire in Fan forces residents of five homes to evacuate – News – inRich.com
Sheila R. Barner couldn’t sleep, so she was watching television at about 4 a.m. today when she smelled smoke.

The smoke was coming from above the second-floor ceiling of the row house she shares in Richmond’s Fan District with Patricia J. McGarry. Both women are nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital.

By the time Richmond firefighters arrived about 15 minutes later, Barner had alerted their neighbors in the row of five adjoining houses facing Retreat Hospital in the 100 block of North Mulberry Street.

Fire at shooting range is latest in long history of problems

Fire at shooting range is latest in long history of problems | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
The fire that ripped through an indoor shooting range Sunday, injuring seven people, is the latest in a string of problems at the facility.

In the past year, A&P Arms’ Lynnhaven Shooting Range has been cited for worker safety violations; had a former manager sent to prison for stealing, selling and giving away guns; and has its license under investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.