PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Six people and two dogs were displaced as the result of a fire that raged at a home in Olde Towne Portsmouth Wednesday afternoon.
A video taken by a neighbor showed the house completely overtaken by flames.
That neighbor, Stephen Morgan, said he was in his backyard when his wife said she smelled burning leaves.
“When I went to the front part of the house, my son noticed that there was like a fog sense outside,” Morgan said. “I immediately opened the front door and then noticed smoke billowing – like white smoke from the house across the street. Within a matter of, I’ll say easily two minutes, the house was like an inferno. It was just engulfed in flames.”
Around 3:16 p.m., Portsmouth Emergency Communications received numerous calls about a fire on the corner of South Street and Effingham Street.
Crews arrived on the scene to find a two-story duplex in flames. A second alarm was called to prevent the fire from spreading to close by buildings.
Morgan told 10 On Your Side that a fast emergency response came from the Navy, different areas in Portsmouth, and even other cities.
“There were at least nine firetrucks here. Even Chesapeake had one of their command center units camped out there,” he said. “By that church, see that fire hydrant? They literally attached that and had a line going all the way down there. They were going from everywhere to attack that fire. “
Drone 10 captured video of the scene at Effingham and South streets. People from all over the city said they could see the heavy smoke billowing from this home.
The fire was under control around 4:18 p.m. Six people and two dogs were displaced and are being assisted by the Red Cross.
Morgan said he spoke with one of those displaced people as the fire was still raging.
“There was a gentleman who ran out,” Morgan said. “I started talking to him, I said is there anybody else inside? At that point in time he said, ‘Yes my dog,’ I said, ‘You better go get your dog.'”
He said he didn’t even stop to think before running out to help his neighbor.
“Literally like, how I am right now except I just had socks on,” Morgan said. “And I literally didn’t even think about it, I just ran down the street to make sure what was going on. … I felt so bad for him, so I actually gave him one of my shirts and I made him some lunch and stuff like that.”
The fire is still under investigation but preliminary reports indicate it was accidental.
Check WAVY.com for the latest updates.
