HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — A two-story home on River Valley Road in Mechanicsville was left charred, and hollowed following a massive fire that engulfed the house early Thursday morning. Fire crews arrived within minutes of calls from the community to find both levels of the home fully ablaze.
Despite the destruction, Hanover fire and EMS Captain John Cundiff reported that the couple inside the home made it out unharmed.
“The working smoke detectors in this house is what attributed to the family getting out in a timely manner, and that we didn't have any civilian loss,” Cundiff said. “We're sad to report that we did lose a dog.”
The extreme cold resulted in the water used to combat the flames freezing upon contact with the road.
Cundiff noted that despite these conditions, crews were able to deploy lines and direct water onto the fire quickly.
"Our water supply was not affected," he said. "But it did create some pretty slippery conditions throughout."
While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Cundiff urged residents to exercise caution when heating their homes this winter, especially when using space heaters.
He recommended keeping combustibles at least three feet away from heat sources and ensuring working carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors are in place.
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