Medics treated four Roanoke firefighters for minor injuries following a Wednesday morning apartment fire on Staunton Avenue, fire officials said.
Roanoke Fire-EMS spokeswoman Tiffany Bradbury said crews arrived at the 800 block of Staunton Avenue Northwest at 1 a.m. to find a two-story duplex with heavy smoke and flames near the rear of the building.
Two people inside escaped without injury.
Bradbury said two firefighters sustained minor injuries when the second floor buckled beneath their feet.
Another firefighter, while pulling melted siding off the building, pierced a finger on a nail, she said.
"And one wasn't feeling well," Bradbury added. "Normally we don't have injuries, but these were all real small."
She said crews had the fire under control by 2:30 a.m.
Bradbury said firefighters saw smoke detectors in the building but never heard them sounding alarms.
She said the blaze, an electrical fire that started on the back porch, has been ruled accidental.
Authorities estimated the fire caused about $80,000 in damage. The house next door showed signs of melted siding.
Copyright 2012 - The Roanoke Times, Va.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
