HOUSE FIRE

Thanks to Desiree Richmond for sending us today’s Picture of the Day from Christiansburg.

Danville officials say one person is without a home after a house fire overnight.

A fire at a home on Avondale Drive in Altavista took multiple agencies hours to extinguish on Sunday.

NELSON COUNTY, Va. – What was a three-story house on Ponton Lane is now a pile of debris. For 17-year-old Travis Burley, a firefighter with the Lovingston Volunteer Fire Department, it wasn’t an ordinary call -- He was responding to his own home. “When I opened both doors on the woodstove, a backdraft of flames hit me in the chest, knocked me on the floor. The community started a GoFundMe campaign to help the family. It means a whole lot to me, especially with the other departments and the people in this community,” said Burley.

DANVILLE, Va. – UPDATEThe Danville Fire Marshal’s Office determined the house fire that happened on 114 Freeze Road on Wednesday was intentional. There were no injuries in the fire among other occupants, but crews found a dog had died in the fire. Around 5:02 p.m., crews arrived to 114 Freeze Road to find a one-story house with heavy fire extending from the house into the carport. The house sustained heavy fire, smoke, heat and water damage. American Red Cross is assisting the family since the house was heavily damaged.

ALTAVISTA, Va. – The Altavista Fire Company said that a house fire that happened Wednesday night is still under investigation. At 11:39 p.m., crews responded to a house fire on the 1100 block of 7th Street with reports of trapped victims. Units arrived at the scene to find a two-story structure with heavy smoke showing from the second-floor windows. Authorities said the victim on the roof was quickly rescued by a ladder and crews conducted searches to ensure no other people were inside the house. A firefighter suffered minor injuries from the incident and was evaluated at LGH before being released shortly after.

DANVILLE, Va. – Four people were hurt and authorities rescued three pets while battling a house fire in Danville late Saturday night into Sunday morning. The Danville Fire Department was called to a home at 128 American Legion Boulevard at 11:47 p.m. Saturday night. When they arrived, heavy smoke was showing throughout the home and fire was coming from the roof and bedroom windows. Three pets were rescued by the fire department. The house sustained heavy smoke and fire damage.

DANVILLE, Va. – A two-story house fire kept Danville firefighters busy early Saturday morning. Firefighters were on scene four and a half hours trying to put out the blaze. The Danville Fire Department responded to the fire at 129 Campbell Street just before 4 a.m. Saturday. At the time of arrival, everyone inside was out of the home. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the fire marshal’s office.

ROANOKE CO.,Va. – UPDATEA fire over the weekend in Roanoke County has been ruled accidental. ORIGINAL STORYRoanoke County Fire and Rescue responded to a report of a residential structure fire in the 3900 block of Meadowlark Road around 5 p.m. Sunday. Upon arrival, officials say they found heavy smoke coming from the front door and vents of the one-story home. Officials say the fire appears to have started in the basement.

DANVILLE, Va. – The Red Cross is assisting a Danville family after a Wednesday afternoon house fire. Smoke could be seen coming from the house. The kitchen sustained moderate damage while the rest of the house sustained minor heat and smoke damage according to a news release from the fire department. An electrical outlet shorted out and caught a baseboard on fire. The fire spread to cabinets near the stove and “out into the kitchen” the news release said.

APPOMATTOX COUNTY, Va. – A father and twin daughter are dead, while a mother and the other twin daughter survived a house fire in Appomattox County early Friday morning, according to Virginia State Police. At 3:36 a.m., the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about a house fire in the 18500 block of Richmond Highway (Route 460) in Pamplin. Police said a family of four was inside at the time of the fire, but only two people escaped. Tori Kidd and her 11-month-old daughter were taken to Lynchburg General Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Tori’s husband, Bradley Kidd, 24, and her other 11-month-old daughter were found dead inside the home, according to state police.

DANVILLE, Va. – UPDATEDCrews are back at the scene of a fire that destroyed a Danville home after it rekindled Tuesday morning. Authorities say crews originally responded to the home on Stokes Street around 5:15 p.m. Monday, where a fire was started by unattended cooking. ORIGINAL STORYCrews battled a house fire on Monday evening in Stokes Street in Danville, according to the Danville Fire Department. The cause of the fire was “unattended cooking,” according to the Danville Fire Department. — Danville Fire Department (@DanvilleVaFire) December 17, 2019Danville Fire Department battling a fire at 758 Stokes Street on Dec. 16, 2019.

Sammy the dog alerted five people to a house fire that broke out in Savannah, Georgia, around 1 a.m. Friday. According to KCRA, Her barking woke up her owners, which allowed the five people inside escape to safety. Sadly, two cats and another dog were unable to get out and did not survive the fire. Officials said it’s important to have smoke alarms on every level of your home. Officials believe the fire at the two-story home was caused by a deep freezer.

ROANOKE, Va. – A house fire in the 1000 block of Pechin Ave SE in Roanoke leaves 7 people out of their home Saturday. Roanoke Fire and EMS say the fire is accidental and started due to improper use of a space heater. Crews say they were able to knock down the fire quickly. No one was hurt. The residents are being assisted by the American Red Cross.

BATH COUNTY, Va. – Two people died Sunday morning in a house fire in Bath County, according to a relative of the two. They were brother and sister, according to the relative. 10 News has decided to not name the victims until the names are released by authorities. Two people died in this house fire on Nov. 24, 2019, in Bath County. (WSLS)Original StoryA house erupted into flames in Bath County Sunday morning.