RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond fire officials say one person is dead after an early morning fire along Schutte Avenue on the city's Southside.
"That front corner was where most of the fire was," said Batallion Chief David Pulliam. "We had a significant amount of fire."
The call for the fire came in from a neighbor just before 3:45. a.m. Tuesday.
Black char now covers the front door and what used to be a living room inside as a family is left without a loved one.
"Our crews were able to get in pretty quick and locate the occupant and remove the occupant from the structure," Pulliam explained, though he adds that individual died on the scene.
Pulliam says a firefighter also suffered minor injuries while knocking down the flames.
"The structure is just soft with the floors and whatnot, so they just got to be careful walking around inside," he noted. "Plus things are cool out here, so you get a little bit of ice. So we're just taking our time."
As investigators document evidence inside, firefighters gathered outside on the front lawn.
"Every fire, every we call we go to, we learn something," Pulliam explained. "It never ends throughout your career, and every fire is different."
For some of this crew, this kind of devastation is new.
"We've hired so many new folks over the last four or five years," said Pulliam. "We've had a big turnover, and sometimes this is the the first type of fire they have with those fatalities, and it builds up over their career. So, you know, having a lot of people in place to help with the mental capacities helps us out and is key and significant."
This is Richmond’s second fatal fire in a little over two weeks. On Dec. 13, a 70-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy were killed when a house partially collapsed during a fire in the city’s East End.
As crews work to determine what caused this fire, they have some advice during these cold winter months.
"People should have their their heating and air checked annually," said Pulliam. "If you have chimneys, have those serviced. Three feet from heat is what we always say. If you use it, any type of heating device, make sure you have a space of three feet around it. Don't use a lot of extension cords. I mean, times are tough sometimes, and people use what they got to keep warm. You just got to be safe, because you don't know."
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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