Dec. 17--A man used a ladder to rescue his daughter from a second-floor apartment after a fire broke out early today in the Varina area of eastern Henrico County.
There were no injuries in the 12:57 a.m. fire, which was confined to the detached garage of a house in the 1000 block of Sholey Road, a short distance west of Varina High School.
Henrico fire Capt. James Mellon said a woman staying in an apartment above the garage discovered the fire below her but was unable to get out because her lone exit was in the garage.
She called her father, who lives next to the garage, and he placed a ladder up to a window of her apartment to allow her to climb safely down before firefighters arrived, Mellon said.
The fire, brought under control in about 20 minutes, caused moderate damage to the garage and smoke damage throughout the apartment, Mellon said.
He said the fire was caused by a space heater in the garage that was being run off an extension cord that overheated.
Mellon said the fire provided a reminder that it is never recommended to run a space heater off of an extension cord. Space heaters draw large amperage, which causes extension cords to overheat.
Copyright 2012 - Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.
