Jessica Nolte
Daily Press
HAMPTON, Va. — A firefighter was taken to a hospital Saturday after he was injured in a blaze at a beauty supply store in Hampton.
Dispatchers were called about the fire at 3:43 p.m. at the Apple Tree Beauty Empire at 4009 W. Mercury Blvd. It took nearly three hours to extinguish the blaze.
Hampton Fire and Rescue said the firefighter had a minor injury to his hand. There were employees and customers inside the store when the fire started, but no other injuries were reported, Battalion Chief Anthony Chittum said.
“The damage on the interior is extensive — I would actually consider it a total loss,” Chittum said. “It was extensive because of the type of material inside. There were lots of synthetics and when that catches fire it produces really high heat. There were also a lot of chemicals and plastics.”
The fire department said on Twitter it was a two-alarm fire. Newport News Fire Department helped at the scene and Norfolk and York County firefighters helped to backfill the Hampton fire stations to keep them operating normally.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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