ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. — On Thursday, multiple fire agencies worked to put out a commercial fire on Benns Church Boulevard south of Riddick Road. Firefighters said two people were treated on scene for minor injuries.
The fire broke out in a warehouse Thursday at 20081 Isle of Wight Industrial Park Rd. in Smithfield, according to the county. Firefighters said the fire was reported around 10:20 a.m., and a local emergency was declared about an hour later.
Crews got the fire under control just after 1 p.m.
"Early into the incident we had to pull all the firefighters out from the interior and we went to a defensive attack for their safety," Garry Windley chief of Isle of Wight Fire Rescue told News 3 Thursday afternoon. "It is still burning and there's still hot spots within the building so we will be out here for a long time to try and find that to be able to put it out."
A civilian and a firefighter were hurt but their injuries were minor, according to Windley. They were treated at the scene and released.
Chief Windley said crews initially shuttled water to the site by truck until crews could hook into a hydrant along Route 10. The road was closed for several hours. It is back open.
Before the fire was marked under control, officials from Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue advised people to avoid the area, calling the fire significant and large.
Since there are various businesses in the area where the fire broke out, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management is helping to manage potential hazardous material runoff, firefighters say. However, they say there is no risk to the public regarding air quality.
"You can imagine a car repair service center was in the building, there was a boat repair service center in the building, so you have fiberglass, fuel, gas, and diesel, and that kind of thing. Propane tanks, a lot of propane tanks," explained chief Windley.
Chief Windley confirmed the 23,000 square foot warehouse is a total loss. The building was subdivided into 13 businesses. Warehouse workers and business owners told News 3 they're saddened and shaken up from the incident. One business owner said he lost more than 1 million dollars in inventory.
"I did talk to the owner of the building and he said he took ownership about 20 years ago," said chief Windley. "And as you can imagine, this is a lot of their livelihood and now it's lost. They have to start again from scratch to get up and running and find another location. Any time we have a fire like this it is devastating to not only the individuals but the community because they provide a lot of services here within the community."
The incident is under investigation.
We will update this story as we learn more.
