NORFOLK, Va. — A person died after a fire broke out at a Norfolk home Monday, according to the city's department of fire-rescue.
After arriving at the home in the 900 block of Avenue I around 7:10 a.m., crews began searching for a reported trapped victim, fire officials say.
Crews later found a person dead on the home's second floor, officials say.
The fire was under control around 8 a.m. No other injuries were reported following the fire.
Officials say they're still investigating the cause of the fire.
"There was a lot of fire on the second floor. That’s where we believe the fire originated. The victim had mobility issues," Glen Williams, Norfolk's Battalion Chief told News 3's Leondra Head.
Williams says there’s been three deadly house fires so far this year in Norfolk. He says last year in 2024, there were no deadly house fires. Williams says the last deadly house fire the department had seen before this year was in 2021.
Here are some fire safety tips from Williams:
"The number one cause of most residential fires is unattended cooking, don’t ever leave it unattended. The same goes for candles," Williams said.
Williams urges everyone to have a working smoke detector.
"Smoke detectors don’t prevent fires but they alert you to the beginning stages of a fire. You can have smoke detectors in your home but if they are not working, they won’t do you any good," Williams said.
Gloria Willis, a neighbor told News 3 that the woman who lived in the house had been living in the house that caught on fire for around 20 years.
"It was fire coming out of the house next door. Gray smoke, big blazes of it," Willis said.
Willis says she woke up to the smoke coming from her neighbor’s house. She says she then tried to reach her neighbor.
"I was going to call her on the phone to get her to answer me. My nerves were so bad, I couldn’t even get the number right," Willis said.
Willis says her neighbor who died in the fire was in her 70’s and says she’s heartbroken.
"We use to celebrate our birthdays together. I was hurt. I said oh no, I hope she’s not in there,” Willis said.
