FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Editor's note: The above video is from April 25, 2022
A fire at an apartment complex in Fredericksburg, Virginia, displaced dozens of people Monday night
The Red Cross of Virginia said in a tweet that they are responding to the 2600 block of Cowan Boulevard to assist "100+" people displaced by a multi-level apartment complex fire. Firefighter say the number of displaced is between 45 and 50 residents
The complex, the Madonna House at Belmont Senior Apartments, is for people over the age of 55 years old.
According to Fredericksburg Fire Department Chief Michael Jones, a medical alarm call came in from the complex just before 10 p.m. A short time later, Fredericksburg Fire received a report of smoke outside the facility. The ambulance that arrived on scene for the alarm call reported a smoky haze outside.
Once a Battalion Chief got to the scene and reported black smoke, a full working fire response was requested. Fredericksburg fire crews were joined by firefighters from Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties after Chief Jones called for a second alarm response around 10:20 p.m. Flames could be seen through the attic area and roof, Chief Jones said.
Jones says crews ran two lines inside the building and fought the blaze from below. He says it took around 45 firefighters about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control and conduct a room-to-room search for potential victims. Medical crews were able to evacuate residents to an unaffected wing of the complex. Eventually everyone was taken outside for a head count.
A medical ambulance bus was brought in along with three Fred Transit buses to transport residents to a nearby bus station for aid from members of the American Red Cross and the Department of Social Services. No serious injuries have been reported.
The Fire Marshal is on scene investigating the origin and cause of the blaze, combing through debris and conducting interviews. A building inspector will determine structural stability, Chief Jones said.
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