CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WTVR) - A house fire claimed a man’s life in Chesterfield County early Sunday morning. The fire victim was identified as Glen Paul Kenney, 60, of Midlothian. Kenney was killed in a fire at a home in the 500 block of Old Country Court Road.
Neighbors spent Sunday reflecting on the loss.
"It's not something you want to see twice," said Jeff Rumbaugh who lived next door to the Kenneym.
Unfortunately, Rumbaugh has already seen the images of the morning fire more than twice as they've played over and over in his mind in the hours that followed.
"It actually sounded like gunshots," he said as he described what startled him from bed at about 1:00 a.m. The sound he heard was actually flames bursting through glass windows at the home next door.
"I gave my wife the phone, she called 911 and I ran over to see if I could do anything," said Rumbaugh.
He recalled the front door was locked so he tried other options to save his neighbor.
"I was shouting, trying to see if he's home, banging on the doors, the windows, the sides of the house, throwing rocks at the upper windows," said Rumbaugh.
Soon fire and rescue crews arrived
Neighbors like Janet Garland would soon learn that the man inside didn't survive.
"I couldn't go back to sleep, I've been up since 1:30 just wondering what was happening to him," said Garland.
"Kind of tough to deal with when it happens 20 feet from your front door," Rumbaugh said.
