BLOXOM, VA - One person has died following a Bloxom house fire Friday morning.
According to the Onancock Volunteer Fire Department, firefighters responded to a reported residential fire with a person trapped on Nelsonia Road on April 19th, just before 10 a.m. Upon arrival, responders found a blaze throughout a two-story home.
Firefighters began creating a path for entry into the home to begin search and rescue efforts for the trapped person, according to first responders. Because the fire had spread throughout the entirety of the first floor and compromised the stability of the house, the Onancock Volunteer Fire Department says responders had to use extreme caution during their search. Using ladders to access the second floor, firefighters say they found the stairs of the home had already collapsed.
Once firefighters were able to enter the home and move debris, one person was found dead on the first floor. The victim’s family were notified at the scene of the fire, according to firefighters. The fire department says an active investigation is underway.
Numerous fire stations assisted Onancock in the response, including Atlantic, Saxis, Bloxom, Parksley, Melfa, and responders from NASA Wallops Island.
“Onancock Volunteer Fire Department would like to thank all of the agencies, career staff from Accomack County Department of Public Safety, NASA Wallops Flight Facility and the numerous volunteers from all agencies involved in this tragic incident,” Onancock firefighters said in a statement. “We would also like to express our condolences to the family of the victim who succumbed due to this fire.”