One of the crews that responded to a Botetourt County house fire on Wednesday afternoon was Read Mountain Fire and Rescue.
The station was preparing for a rededication ceremony that was to take place less than an hour before the call came over the scanners.
Some saw it fitting that a call would come in just before a special event.
“We responded immediately, and on the immediate approach we saw a column of black smoke in the air,” said Botetourt Deputy Chief of Fire and EMS Jeff Powell. Firefighters made it to the home off Willow Spring Road within minutes of the call coming in. They were relieved to report no injuries to those who were inside.
“We’re going to be here as long as it takes to help them get to a better place,” Powell said.
Powell was preparing to be at the Read Mountain station for a rededication of it’s ownership.
For thirty years, according to Chief Jason Ferguson, Botetourt has shared the station with neighboring Roanoke County. Now, it’s fully under Botetourt.