At least 5 injured in blast, fire at Harrisonburg strip mall

PHOTO: An investigation was underway into the cause of an explosion and large fire at a shopping center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, that injured at least five people Saturday morning. Three people were taken to hospitals after the incident that was reported around 8:30 a.m., and two others were treated on the scene for minor injuries, the city said in an update Saturday evening. The strip mall contained a vape shop, musical instrument store and recording studio, according to the Daily News-Record. It was a “total loss,” city spokesman Michael Parks said. Damage was also reported to other structures. Although Gov. Ralph Northam tweeted that state emergency personnel had been deployed to the area after what he called a gas explosion, Harrisonburg Fire Chief Matt Tobia told reporters the cause was under investigation.
WRIC-TV ABC 8 Richmond

Woman burned in fire at Chesapeake mobile home

Fire investigators are working to learn what sparked a fire at a trailer in Chesapeake early Monday morning that sent one woman to the hospital. Firefighters were sent to the 1800 block of Iris Street in the Portlock section of the city shortly after 4:30 a.m. Monday. They rushed to the scene where they found a trailer engulfed in flames. Fire crews were able to put out the fire shortly after they arrived. A woman suffered burn injuries and had to be taken to a local emergency room for treatment. The fire broke out at her home, which sustained extensive damage. Lt. Danny Smith of the Chesapeake Fire Department said the woman has non-life threatening injuries. He added, crews had the fire under control by 5 a.m. "Crews did a good job making sure the fire didn't spread to the adjacent trailer," Smith said.
WVEC-TV ABC 13 Hampton

After a decline, coronavirus now surging throughout much of the state

If you’re watching the coronavirus pandemic by the numbers for signs of improvement, you could get whiplash from one week to the next. Coming off a brief period in which no health district was surging in new infections, Virginia’s caseload appeared to be receding while other states across the country were headed down the opposite path. Now, all but the northern part of the state is having an upward trajectory, based on data collected by the Virginia Department of Health. In Hampton Roads, slow growth was happening in the Hampton, Peninsula and Western Tidewater districts. Fresh off his mild bout of the coronavirus, Gov. Ralph Northam returned to public business last week, with a reminder to Virginians to stay vigilant. At a press briefing Tuesday, he urged residents to continue wearing masks around other people, washing hands and avoiding crowds where people are closer than 6 feet apart.
Daily Press - Metered Site

Woman rescued from house fire in Richmond

A woman is expected to be okay after being rescued from a house fire in Richmond. Fire crews arrived to find smoke coming from the home on Hanes Avenue around 4:45 p.m. on Sunday. The Richmond Fire Department says they received a call from a person saying they tried to help the woman out of the smoking home but they weren’t successful. Once on the scene crews were able to safely extract the woman from the house. The fire is now under control. No other injuries have been reported. RFD has not announced what caused the house fire.
WRIC-TV ABC 8 Richmond

Charlottesville firefighters bond with young boy during pandemic

A Charlottesville mother has been finding ways to keep two of her youngsters entertained during the pandemic, and they’ve found a little inspiration along the way. Without much to do at the start of the pandemic, Jennifer Walker would take two of her kids, 3-year-old Ethan and 18-month-old Savannah, on a walk. They would always come to the Charlottesville Fire Station on Ridge Street. Ethan loves the trucks, and loves when the trucks are out - or, even better, if they got called to serve. Very few things bring a smile to Ethan’s face quite like the sounds of the sirens and the sights of his heroes going to rescue someone. But there is one thing that makes him smile even bigger: when his heroes adopted him as one of their own. The firefighters gave Ethan and Savannah their own hats, and even answered the ever-curious Ethan’s tough questions. “He loves being a firefighter and I think he has a future career,” said Tyler Floyd, a firefighter.
WVIR-TV NBC 29 Charlottesville

Blind woman killed, man injured in house fire in Richmond

A blind woman is dead and a man is hurt after a fire overnight at a home in Richmond’s southside. The fire started just before 2 a.m. Friday at a house in the 200 block of Plazaview Road., just off of East Belt Boulevard. Firefighters say the woman was on the phone with dispatchers as she tried to escape the burning home, but was not able to. Officials say a man was able to escape the fire but suffered from smoke inhalation. Crews are still investigating what caused this fire.
WWBT-TV NBC 12 Richmond

Middlesex County home destroyed in blaze; body of deceased man found inside

Authorities discovered a body in a home that burned in Water View on Monday. The remains of the deceased man were sent to the state medical examiner’s office to confirm identification. Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. R.T. Hirtz said he was dispatched to Water View Road (Route 640) about 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 12 after a passerby reported seeing a home ablaze near the Jamaica Convenience Center. The dwelling was fully engulfed in flames by the time it was reported, said Cpl. Hirtz. The house’s occupant lived alone, he said. A Virginia State Police arson investigator was called to the scene. The cause of the fire has not yet been officially determined. Responding to the blaze were firefighters from the Upper Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department, and the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department, which is located in Urbanna.
Southside Sentinel

First responders across Nelson County respond to fire

Members of numerous Nelson County fire departments and rescue squads worked together to battle a structure fire Thursday afternoon. According to Gladstone Fire and Rescue Service, Nelson County ECC dispatched a request across the county for tankers and small “attack” apparatus to respond to a structure fire in the Roseland area at 3:24 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. A Facebook post from Piney River Volunteer Fire Department says first responders from the following agencies responded to the request: Faber Volunteer Fire Department, Gladstone Fire and Rescue Service, Lovingston Volunteer Fire Department, Montebello Volunteer Fire Department, Nelson EMS, Piney River Volunteer Fire Department, Roseland Rescue Squad, and Wintergreen Fire and Rescue. Wintergreen Fire and Rescue says there are no reports of injuries resulting from the fire.
WFXR-TV Fox 27 Roanoke

Farmville Fire Department’s 150th anniversary celebration postponed

The Farmville Fire Department’s (FFD) 150th anniversary celebration originally set for Oct. 18 has been postponed until at least April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event had been set to feature a parade and an after-party at the Firemen’s Sports Arena where many historical photos and artifacts relevant to the FFD – that have been found – would have been on display. The key figures helping put together the celebration and gathering the historical data on the department are three members of the Farmville-Prince Edward Historical Society – its president, Jimmy Hurt, and two veteran firefighters, Jim Davis and Dan Pempel. Davis is a lifetime member of the FFD and actively served there for 10-12 years, and Pempel has served there 17 years since moving to the area from New York and is still an active member.
Farmville Herald