A structure fire displaced several families in the Lafayette Village neighborhood on Halloween night.
At approximately 7:00 PM on Thursday evening, multiple calls were placed for an active fire in the townhomes on the 4000 block of Normandy Court. On the scene, flames could be seen emanating from the roof of one of the houses.
A multi-unit response, including a borrowed Stafford County tower unit operated by the Fredericksburg Fire Department, was able to bring the blaze under control after approximately 15 minutes. First responders worked with witnesses on the scene to ensure everyone had evacuated the buildings safely.
Deputies from the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office were observed removing a cat from one of the structures. That animal is reportedly in good health. Another cat was also inside one of the homes at the time of the incident, but is said to have escaped during the fire. It’s not known if the pet was able to be relocated. At least two units were rendered uninhabitable by the fire.
Multiple witnesses on the scene reported hearing an explosion before the fire erupted. Radio traffic indicated that a gas leak was detected shortly after the fire was extinguished.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
This story is developing and will be updated with details as they become available.
I have a picture from my porch.