An overnight electrical fire tore through the attic of a single-story home on Rock Creek Drive in Chesapeake's Indian River section early Monday, and before firefighters could finish dousing it, they spotted smoke pouring from the attic of the house next door. Three adult residents are now displaced, though no injuries were reported from either blaze.
Chesapeake firefighters were dispatched at 2:06 a.m. and arrived on scene just seven minutes later, according to 13News Now. Crews found smoke and flames pushing out of the attic of the first home, which ended up sustaining significant damage. Residents of that house had already evacuated safely before firefighters pulled up.
Flames Jump To The House Next Door
While still working the first fire, crews noticed smoke coming from the attic of the neighboring residence and discovered a smaller fire had broken out there as well, the outlet reports. Fire department personnel alerted that household, and those residents also got out safely. The second fire was brought under control within 12 minutes of firefighters' arrival, while the first wasn't fully knocked down until 3:17 a.m.
Investigators determined that both fires originated from electrical issues in the attics, and that the two homes were connected to the same transformer, per the same report. Dominion Energy personnel responded to the scene from the first incident, and fire crews went on to inspect other residences tied to that transformer to check for additional fire hazards.
Red Cross Steps In For Displaced Residents
Three adult residents have been displaced by the fires, and the American Red Cross is assisting them with temporary lodging, the station notes. No further details on the extent of damage to the second home, or on what triggered the electrical issues beyond the attic origin, have been released.
The incident adds to a string of residential fires 13News Now has covered around Chesapeake in recent months, including an attic fire in an unoccupied Chesapeake home, an HVAC fire in Deep Creek that displaced two people, and a separate blaze that left three families displaced on a Saturday evening, detailed in a 13News Now video report. Nationally, electrical malfunctions remain a recurring factor behind residential fire casualties, with the U.S. Fire Administration noting that residential structure fires carried a 2023 casualty rate well above the average for fires overall.
