NORFOLK
Fire investigators have fixed the cause for a small blaze in a trash-handling system serving the 12-story Pembroke Towers early today, ruling it was an accident and the result of improper disposal of smoking materials.
No one was injured and none of the residents of the building's 168 apartments overlooking the Hague had to be evacuated.
Jack Goldhorn, a spokesman for Norfolk Fire-Rescue, said the first calls for the blaze came in at 11:39 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they found smoke filling the trash room on the lower floor.
The fire was confined to a trash chute with smoke extending upwards several floors. But Goldhorn said no substantial amounts of smoke spread outward onto any residential floors, thus no evacuation was needed.
It took only a few minutes for firefighters to douse the burning trash. They remained on the scene to ventilate the smoke.
One firefighter was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment of an eye injury suffered after some debris blew into his face. Goldhorn said he was expected to recover.
The three-wing building, built in 1964, is owned and managed by Sachs Palin, which also owns nearby Hague Towers as well as scores of residential and commercial properties around the country.
In January 2007, an explosion and fire on Pembroke Towers' 12th floor left some residents standing on balconies seeking fresh air. A resident and a firefighter were injured.
Fire damage was confined to the top floor, although smoke and water damage spread to other upper floors. The cause was eventually traced to a faulty gas line, Goldhorn said.
Steve Stone, (757) 446-2309, steve.stone@pilotonline.com
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Re Smoking
I am compelled to mention that the story claims the fire was started by improper disposal of smoking materials...without clarification, this could technically include anything from marijuana bong loads, crack pipes, cigarettes, lighters, pipe tobacco, materials needed to smoke meat, cure ham, incense used to summon the spirit world, Native American Peace Pipes & their mysterious contents......the possibilities are endless....possibly not all are cancer laden products. I mean tobacco was not specifically mentioned.....just a friendly note. But I hope the firefighter will be OK too .
Smoking
We see again and again that careless smoking is the cause of fires. Just another reason to ban the filthy, dangerous, cancer laden product. I hope the injured firefighter recoveres quickly.
Once again...
Once again the firefighters of Tidewater are there and risking there own well being to put out the fire.