Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLAND, Va. — Members of a Bland County volunteer department are looking for ways to help a fellow firefighter whose home was destroyed by fire while he was fighting another blaze.
Members of the Rocky Gap Volunteer Fire Department were dealing with a chimney fire in Rocky Gap late Tuesday night when they got another call about a structure that was fully involved on the North Scenic Highway, Rocky Gap Fire Chief Dino Willis said.
Firefighters were able to get the chimney fire under control, and then responded to the second blaze. That was when volunteer firefighter Terry Wright realized it was his own home that was burning.
“It was fully involved, and it was one of my fire members houses that burned down,” Willis said. “We were out on another call, a flue fire, when we got it. Terry Wright is one of our firefighters, and it was his house. Terry was with us fighting this (the first) fire when we got the call.”
Firefighters were still on the scene of the blaze early Wednesday morning. Willis said the structure was a complete loss. He said Wright’s wife was in the house at the time of the fire, and had to be transported to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. A dog inside of the house died in the fire. The family lost all of their belongings in the blaze.
Willis said the cause of the fire is not yet known. He said the blaze appeared to have originated between the living room and kitchen, and that there was a kerosene heater in the area.
Willis said the fire department was going to meet Wednesday to look at ways to help the Wright family. He said the fire department will also look at ways the community can help the firefighter and his family recover. But no specific plans were in place as of Wednesday afternoon. The American Red Cross also has been contacted.
The Rocky Gap Volunteer Fire Department was assisted in fighting the blaze by the Bland Fire Department, the Holly Brook Volunteer Fire Department and the Grapefield Volunteer Fire Department. The Bland Rescue Squad, Bland County Sheriff’s Department and Virginia State Police also responded.
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