Gavin Stone, Caitlyn Burchett
Daily Press
(TNS)
Twelve people were injured and another 50 were displaced due to a two-alarm fire early Friday at an apartment complex in Hampton, according to the Hampton Fire Department.
Crews responded to the fire at the Township in Hampton Woods apartment complex in the 200 block of Marcella Road, near Coliseum Drive and Cooper Elementary School, around 1:36 a.m.
The blaze, which damaged 24 units, left a woman and a child hospitalized with burns and injured eight firefighters.
When crews first arrived on scene, black smoke was churning into the sky as fire emanated from the top floor of the three-story complex, said Lt. Michael Zoladkiewicz, spokesperson for the fire division.
Firefighters immediately initiated “an aggressive” search and rescue effort. Two occupants from the where the fire is believed to have started were located outside, Zoladkiewicz said. The fire set off a smoke alarm in their apartment.
Crews continued to search for people in neighboring units, quickly locating and rescuing two trapped residents
“The fire progressed quickly, jeopardizing the structural integrity of the roof and floor,” Zoladkiewicz said.
In total, four residents were injured during the fire. The woman and child were airlifted to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with moderate to serve burns. Two other residents were transported to Sentara CarePlex Hospital for smoke inhalation and have since been released.
All other occupants escaped the burning building on their own without injury.
As the fire consumed 12 units, three firefighters suffered moderate burns and were transported by ground to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Five other firefighters were transported to Sentara CarePlex for minor burns and injuries. They have all been released from the hospital and will return to work in 2-10 days.
After firefighters battled the blaze for around two hours, it was brought under control just before 3:30 a.m.
Zoladkiewicz said the 24 units — either damaged by fire, water or a collapsed roof — are uninhabitable. The apartment complex’s management team and the American Red Cross are assisting the displaced residents.
At daybreak Friday morning, fire crews were still on the scene working to extinguish hot spots that burned through the night.
As of 2:30 p.m., the only crews at the scene were fire investigators, who were assisting the apartment complex with securing the building, said Zoladkiewicz.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Zoladkiewicz said the fire division does not believe the fire was intentionally set.
“Due to the age of the building, a sprinkler system and integrated fire alarm system were not required or present,” Zoladkiewicz said.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, [email protected]
Caitlyn Burchett, 727-267-6059, [email protected]
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