By Heather Michon, correspondent
Photo by Kents Store Volunteer Fire Company
Fire destroyed a single-family home on Stage Junction Road near Columbia on Monday (Oct 21).
Chief Andrew Pullen of the Kent’s Store Volunteer Fire Department said all four Fluvanna fire companies and units from Goochland responded to a call reporting a fire at 3:18 pm. Crews were on the scene within 15 minutes and found flames on both levels of the large, two-story home.
Teams went inside to check for occupants and begin fighting the fire, but Pullen said “low visibility, high heat, and rapidly deteriorating condition” caused the team to retreat until it could be knocked down from the outside.
It took several hours and tens of thousands of gallons of water to fully extinguish the blaze.
Pullen said one firefighter received minor burns but refused medical transport.
During the initial search of the home, firefighters rescued a dog, which was transported to an emergency veterinary hospital. Unfortunately, the animal died of its injuries the following day.
Teams salvaged some personal items from the house, but the structure itself was “a total loss,” said Pullen.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started by the family. Jessica Evans of Mechanicsville said in her post that her youngest daughter and her babysitter came home to find the house already on fire.
“My youngest had to watch her home burn as they waited for the fire dept. My son found out as soon as he got home from school. They also lost the family dog, as well as my daughter’s hamster,” Evans wrote. “We’re devastated, and they need all the help they can.”
The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.
Note: If you would like to contribute to the Evans family, their GoFundMe campaign is “Help the Evans family & my kids recover”
