Tisha Smith: “I was afraid for them and then I saw their house going up and it’s devastating.”
CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - Three people were rushed to the hospital after a two-alarm fire broke out in their Chester home on Friday morning.
Just before 7 a.m., Chesterfield Fire and EMS were called to the home along Drayton Landing Court for the report of a fire. The first crew to arrive on the scene found heavy flames coming from the house.
Due to the flames and proximity of the fire around other homes, Chesterfield firefighters quickly declared a second alarm.
Tisha Smith, who lives next door, was alerted by one of her neighbors about the blaze.
“One of the neighbors came and told us the house was on fire next to us, so I got my husband, he got our son, I got the dog, and we went to safety across to our neighbor’s yard,” she said.
What Smith saw next left her heartbroken.
“The front of the house was burning, and then within minutes, the fire was shooting out of the back windows, the door, just everything there, it was black smoke everywhere,” said Smith.
Officials tell us three people living inside the home were taken to VCU Medical Center for smoke inhalation and burns and are expected to recover.
Charles Lewis, who lives across the street, noticed the garage up in flames and jumped into action.
“The first thing I thought was get somebody out of the house, make sure nobody in the house,” he said. “I seen the son running around, I guess trying to call for the dad to come out of the house. At that point, I went in the house, and put my shoes on and came outside. Went over to see how I can help. Saw the mom come out the front, but the dad was on the top of the second floor.”
Lewis went to help a man get to safety after he jumped out a window from the second floor to escape the blaze.
“As soon as he jumped out, flames went straight into that room,” said Lewis.
Firefighters worked throughout the morning to contain the blaze, marked under control around 8 a.m.
According to Chesterfield Fire and EMS, the house suffered significant damage and was deemed a total loss.
The siding on two homes next door also melted as a result of the fire.
Throughout the morning, firefighters worked to sort through the rubble to piece together what sparked the blaze, which is still under investigation by the Chesterfield Fire Marshal’s Office.
As investigators piece together what led up to the flames, all Smith can think about is her neighbors and being there for them during this difficult time.
“I thought about all the memories that they have with family, pictures, items of their children, could’ve been when they were little, all that stuff is gone,” said Smith. “We just love them, and hopefully, if they need anything, they can let any of us know.”
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