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Fire damages Chesapeake home, cars

Posted at 11:19 PM, Apr 23, 2012
and last updated 2012-04-23 23:19:35-04

The smoke was still creeping out of a house on Shadow Brooke Drive in Chesapeake.

Firefighters worked through the insulation of the attic, pulling it out as they dug for any parts that were still on fire.

A mother and her adult son were inside the home when they heard a loud explosion in the garage around 3:30 Monday afternoon.

They went to check on it and saw thick black clouds of smoke.They called 911 and fire crews rushed to contain the heavily-involved fire.

"Woke up, thought my house was on fire, but it wasn't me," said neighbor Vanessa Rodkey. "I walked out and just saw everything in flames. The whole front of the car had exploded and I heard a crackling and like a big boom."

The woman was treated by EMS workers and she's doing fine now and was released a few hours after the fire.

Firefighters continued to check on the woman even after she was released.

Two luxury cars were ruined; one inside the garage barely resembles a car anymore.
The sedan in the driveway was burned on the front end.

"I just remember that the whole house went in smoke and the whole street was just covered in black smoke," said Rodkey.

Firefighters rotated in and out and were able to contain the fire, even as the smoke stubbornly continued to come out of the attic.

"It was horrible. I started coughing and inside of my house smells like smoke right now," said Rodkey.

Family came to show their support and love for the homeowners.
While the family's cars are a loss, firefighters were able to recover priceless items including photos and decorations.