Apartment fire displaces 13 people in Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH

At least 13 people were displaced this afternoon when a fire erupted at Emerald Point apartments, off Laskin Road.

Firefighters responded to the 2000 block of Dunbarton Drive at 1:13 p.m. and elevated the call to two alarms after they found thick flames shooting through the roof, said Michael Barakey, a battalion chief with the Virginia Beach Fire Department.

More than eight units sustained extensive damage, and one resident refused medical treatment for smoke inhalation, Barakey said. No other injuries were reported.

Barakey said the fire was caused by discarded smoking material on a second-floor balcony.

The American Red Cross and The Breeden Company, which owns the complex, placed the displaced residents in shelters.