Smoke Detector Alerts Va. Woman to Fire

Grace Pressley is thankful for the smoke detector that alerted her to a fire at her Southeast Newport News home early Thursday morning.

Pressley, 62, said she was in her bedroom when she heard the alarm sounding on the upper level of the two-story home. She said she ran up the stairs and saw smoke and fire coming from a bedroom. She and another resident tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but it was too intense and she became overwhelmed by the smoke.

"I know not to deal with smoke...it can kill you," she said.

Pressley said she then rushed everyone out of the house and alerted her neighbors when she saw the flames were starting to spread. The house next door is arms-length from hers.

Newport News firefighters saw smoke and flames coming from the home in the 1100 block of 28th Street when they arrived about 1:30 a.m., Assistant Fire Chief Robert Craft said in a news release.

The firefighters performed an aggressive fire attack and search and rescue operations, he said.

Everyone made it out of the home safely, and no injuries were reported, according to Craft.

The fire was deemed under control just before 2 a.m., but the home suffered fire damage on the second floor and attic area, Craft said. The rest of the home was damaged by heat and smoke, he said.

Fire officials determined the blaze was caused by an unattended candle, according to Craft. Pressley told the Daily Press a housemate was burning candles in his bedroom with the window open. She said she thinks the wind caused the fire to spread when the man left the room to go to the bathroom. By the time he discovered the fire, it was too late, she said.

Pressley went back to the home to assess the damage in the early daylight hours. The fire extinguisher was on the front lawn among charred window frames, boards and other housing materials. The neighbor's home also had fire damage to its siding.

She said she and her four other housemates are receiving assistance from the American Red Cross. She said she's upset that they lost their possessions in the fire, but she's thankful everyone is safe.

"I'm just glad that fire alarm went off," she said.

Pawlowski can be reached by phone at 757-247-7478.

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