Va. Residents Escape House Fire, One Jumps

Jan. 25--SUFFOLK -- Three people escaped from a residential fire on Bute Street in downtown Suffolk on Thursday, according to a news release.

By the time Suffolk fire crews arrived to the Bute Street home, it was fully engulfed in flames, said city spokeswoman Diana Klink in a news release.

Neighbors told firefighters they believed someone was still inside, but rescue crews discovered that three occupants had escaped with one person jumping from the second-floor window of the multi-family home, Klink said.

That person was taken to Sentara Obici Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Klink said.

The fire displaced four adults who are being assisted by the Red Cross, Klink said. The cause remains under investigation.

A separate fire after 7 p.m. at the Colander Bishop Apartments on Brook Avenue left two adults and two children without a place to stay, Klink said. The Red Cross is helping the family.

The fire in the attic near the end of one building affected three apartments, Klink said. No one was injured and residents evacuated safely.

The fire marshal's office is investigating the cause, she said.

Copyright 2013 - Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)