LYNCHBURG, Va. – UPDATE
The Lynchburg Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the fire was accidental and possibly caused by discarded smoking materials.
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The woman rescued from the home was flown to VCU for treatment of smoke inhalation. A second resident, who was home when the fire started but left the scene, was found around midnight about a block away. He was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital for treatment of exposure and has since been released.
ORIGINAL STORY
The Lynchburg Fire Department announced Monday that a woman had been hospitalized and residents were displaced following a residential structure fire Monday night.
According to officials, first responders responded to a report of a structure fire in the 1100 block of Pierce Street, with one resident still trapped inside. The first units to arrive found heavy smoke coming from the front of the building.
Officials said multiple residents who had escaped outside told firefighters that one disabled woman was still trapped inside. Crews entered the building and found the victim and immediately evacuated her from the building. She was taken to the hospital, and there is no further word on her condition at this time.
Authorities believe the fire started in or near the ground-floor crawl space at the back of the two-story wood-frame duplex and quickly worked its way through the rest of the building. Crews were expected to remain on scene for several hours as they worked to completely extinguish it. LFD restoration officers and the Red Cross are working with the displaced and the fire is under investigation.