CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A family escaped a house fire early Friday morning. The home is in the Hallsley neighborhood, off Midlothian Turnpike, in Chesterfield County.
"The home suffered significant damage throughout, causing the roof to collapse," Chesterfield Fire spokesman Lt. Jason Elmore said."Five occupants of the home were able to escape safely without injury after hearing the smoke alarm sound. Having a working smoke alarm doubles the chance of survival in the event of a house fire."
Chesterfield Fire crews were called to the home, along the 2100 block of Farnborough Drive, just after midnight. Firefighters said low temperatures and a brisk overnight wind added a layer of difficulty to fighting this fire.
The wind fanned the flames and helped them spread to trees and bushes around the home, firefighters said.
Because of the fire's intensity, two fire units from Powhatan were called in to help. Ladder trucks were deployed as part of the defensive attack.
It took firefighters about 90 minutes to extinguish the fire at the home.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
