Woman, two firefighters hurt in Bedford Co. Fire

WSLS NEWS STAFF
LYNCHBURG NEWS & ADVANCE
Published: December 11, 2008

Updated 4:23p.m. Thursday
The fire marshal hopes to talk to the victim of a house fire to figure out the cause.

Barbara Hamliton received second and third degree burns when her home on Lazenbury Road in Bedford County caught fire Wednesday afternoon.

She is still in stable condition at Lynchburg General Hospital.

Bedford County Fire Marshal John Jennings tells us when Hamilton is feeling up to it, he hopes she will be able to tell them what might have sparked the blaze.
————-
Updated Thursday 12:35 a.m.

A Bedford County woman was hospitalized with burns after a fire destroyed her Lazenbury Road house Wednesday afternoon, according to county fire officials.

Chief Monty Coleman of the Forest Volunteer Fire Department said emergency dispatchers received the call to the house in the Otterville area, northeast of Bedford, at about 2:10 p.m.

Coleman was first on the scene, and said heavy smoke and fire were showing from the house by the time he arrived.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to get the blaze under control, he said.

Bedford County Fire and Rescue investigators are working to establish the cause of the fire, Coleman said, but he didn’t believe there were any operational smoke detectors in the house.

Coleman said the fire appeared to have started in the living room, and destroyed most of the upper level of the house.

“The basement area is in great shape. Outside of that, it’s pretty much gutted,” he said.

Several family members live near the woman, Coleman said, and though he expected the Red Cross to get involved, representatives were not called to the scene Wednesday.

—————————————
Udated 9:40p.m.
10 On Your Side talks to the man who pulled his mother-in-law from her burning home.

The fire happened around 2:30p.m. Wednesday on Lazenbury Road in Bedford County.

David Bowyers tells us he and his 22 year old son were in the garage next door when they heard yelling.  They ran out and saw smoke coming from the windows.  Bowyers says they ran around to the other side of the house and opened the door to intense flames and smoke.  Bowyers says he could see his mother-in-law, Barbara Hamilton, but just barely.  He says smoke covered everything but her feet. Bowyers was able to make it inside to Hamilton and get her out of the house. 

Hamilton is in stable condition at Lynchburg General Hospital.  Firefighters tells us she has second and third degree burns.  Bowyers tells us she’s a cancer patient in her 70s.

Fire investigators will return to the home Thursday morning to work to find the cause.

————
A woman in her 70’s and two firefighters were hurt Wednesday after a home on Lazenbury Road in Bedford Co., that’s just off Otterville Rd.
Firefighters say the fire started around 2:30 p.m.
The woman has been taken to Lynchburg General Hospital to be treated for second and third degree burns.
They say, her son-in-law was in a nearby garage when he heard her yelling for help.
He ran through the carport and saw her staggering around.
He was able to pull her out and took her to a minivan where they waited for an ambulance to arrive.
One firefighter suffered a burn to his face, while another overheated, but both were able to get back on the job.
Crews from Forest, Bedford, Big Island, Moneta, and Montvale all helped with this house fire.
The fire is out, but the wreckage is still smoldering as firefighters try and put out hot spots.
WSLS has a crew on the scene.
Watch WSLS 10 On Your Side at 5 and 6 for the latest information.