A home in the 7000 block of Pattersons View in the River Club subdivision at Gloucester Point was destroyed shortly after midnight Monday. The occupants were away at the time, and no one was injured.
Firefighters from Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the structure fire at 12:10 a.m., said officer-in-charge Captain Drew Luellen, and when the first unit arrived just six minutes later, heavy fire was showing on three sides and two nearby homes were at risk.
The first engine quickly moved to attack the main fire and protect exposed structures, said Luellen, while the second engine hooked up to a fire hydrant to deliver water for the attack and deputies from the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office cleared residents from the adjacent homes.
Firefighters entered the structure and made a sweep of the first floor to confirm there were no occupants, said Luellen, but they realized that a full roof collapse was imminent, so they withdrew and “shifted to a defensive attack.”
Lu...