Fire destroys Amherst County home

By Dave Thompson

Published: November 1, 2008

A Saturday afternoon blaze gutted an Amherst County house, leaving only part of the structure intact.

Amherst Fire Chief Trent Richie Jr. said emergency dispatchers received the call at 3:17 p.m.

The Amherst Fire Department, along with the Pedlar and Monelison volunteer fire departments responded to the single-story house off of U.S. 60 near Sardis Grocery.

When firefighters arrived at 3:26, Richie said, the fire had already vented through the house’s roof, supplying the blaze with enough oxygen to make it difficult to douse.

In addition, he said, the house sat at the end of Rose Petal Lane, a long private drive, causing the tankers to have to relay water to the house.

The house’s occupant was out of the home by the time firefighters arrived, and was unhurt, Richie said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but Richie said the fire had “been going a little while” before crews arrived.

Including the cleanup, the fire occupied firefighters for about two hours.

The Historic Virginia Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting the occupant, Richie said.