SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. -- A 12-year-old girl and her grandmother are reported dead and the father severely injured after a fire ravaged a home on the 13200 block of Fox Gate Drive in the Fox Chase neighborhood in western Spotsylvania County.
According to Spotsylvania Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Sposa, crews were dispatch to the location on Monday night at around 5 p.m. Upon arrival, first responders found "heavy fire coming from the home."
"There was a report of people who were trapped in the residence," Sposa said.
Firefighters couldn't confirm that information, but they did say when they arrived there were flames and heavy smoke coming from the second floor of the home and people trapped inside.
Firefighters found the the 12-year-old girl and her grandmother on the second floor of the home . The father was found on the third floor. He was initially rushed to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg before he was transferred to VCU Medical Center in Richmond.
No other information about the victims was released.
Sposa said firefighters are "not exactly sure of the cause" of the fire, but it was under investigation.
A neighbor across the street, who’s a volunteer firefighter, said he arrived as first responding units pulled up.
The owners of the home are military and live in Germany. Neighbors said the family living in the home had been renting since July.
Firefighters had to shuttle water in with tanker trucks due to a limited water supply.
The Red Cross is also involved.
Editor's note: Sources originally believed that the granddaughter ran back inside to try and save her grandmother. Those sources also said the girl’s father ran into the house too. As it turned out, the granddaughter ran up the stairs to attempt to save her grandmother. In addition, the father never made it outside, he was trapped on the third floor.
