NORFOLK, Va. — The American Red Cross is assisting six people displaced by an overnight house fire in Norfolk’s Berkley neighborhood.
According to the Norfolk Fire Department, firefighters were called to a home on Hardy Avenue just after 1 a.m. Monday.
Crews arrived to find the house fully involved in flames.
One person was taken to the hospital with minor burns and smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.
Fire officials said the affected home sustained moderate damage, while a neighboring home suffered minor damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A restoration company was at the scene Monday morning to help residents recover belongings from the damaged home.
Neighbor Arden Amick said she and her partner noticed something was wrong when they saw an orange glow and heard unusual noises coming from next door.
“We see orange lights coming from our neighbor’s side of the house, and lots of noise,” Amick said. “So we realized there was a fire.”
A bright orange condemnation notice now hangs on the front door of the home as residents wait to learn the full extent of the damage.
“There is definitely some water damage,” Amick said. “There was a small fire in the frame. So yeah, not 100% sure, but it’s not great.”
Amick said she and her partner are relying on family support while working with insurance and salvaging what they can.
“We’ve got the bare necessities dealt with, thank God,” she said. “But there is a lot of stuff to do.”
As cleanup efforts continue, Amick said exhaustion has begun to set in.
“I haven’t slept,” she said. “It has been a while since I slept, so I’m not exactly functioning at full power right now.”
In the end, Norfolk and Chesapeake fire crews were able to get the situation under control by 2 a.m.
