PETERSBURG, Va. -- A fire broke out at a vacant Petersburg house Friday morning.
Firefighters arrived at the scene three minutes after the fire was reported by one of their captains. Henry Harris, who lives next door to the vacant house, quickly realized his own home was at risk.
“When I came out my house, some guy was pointing up,” Harris said.
At that moment, Harris saw the fire next door. His first thought was for his family.
“So the first thing I thought about was my son and my girlfriend is right across from the fire,” Harris said.
Both were asleep upstairs, with flames getting closer to their side of the building.
“The first thing I could think of was my son being dead, and I didn’t want that," Harris said. "If he was going to die, I probably would have stayed in there with him."
Harris ran upstairs and got both his girlfriend and son out safely. Meanwhile, the firefighter who reported the blaze helped others living nearby.
“He was banging on the door and said 'The house was on fire, the house was on fire,'” said Arthur Finchum, who lives next door to the vacant house.
Another resident, Sharon Elder, also recalled the urgency: “He was banging, he said, 'The house was on fire, get out.'”
Once everyone was evacuated, firefighters focused on containing the blaze and preventing it from spreading further. Harris, his girlfriend, and their two-year-old son left their home without any of their belongings. Petersburg Police provided the child with a stuffed animal, new pajamas, blankets, juice, and water.
Firefighters were able to knock down the flames within minutes and stayed on the scene for about two hours to check for hot spots and clean up.
While most residents were able to return to their homes, Harris and his family were displaced due to smoke and water damage. The Red Cross is providing assistance to them.
The cause of the fire in the vacant house is under investigation by the Petersburg Fire Marshal.
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