HENRICO, Va. — Five people are without a home after an apartment fire Monday afternoon in the Cloisters, a Henrico apartment complex.
A call for help was made just after 3 p.m. Monday. When Henrico Fire and EMS arrived they saw smoke coming from the building.
Firefighters said they had things under control in about 20 minutes; by 3:36 p.m. it was marked under control.
Fire investigators believe the fire started from smoking materials improperly discarded in the mulch outside. The fire moved inside.
Five adults were living in the apartment but were not injured in the fire. They are being assisted by the Red Cross. Their apartment will not be inhabitable until repairs are made.
Because the fire was discovered quickly and fire units were on scene in less than five minutes, damage was kept to a minimum.
The Henrico Division of Fire would like to remind everyone to properly discard of smoking materials, and not to allow mulch to be applied so it’s in contact with the side of a home, apartment, or business. Furthermore, smoke alarms should be installed in living areas and checked monthly to ensure they work properly.
