PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — A child was found dead and three others were injured in an apartment complex fire in Petersburg Tuesday morning.
Shortly after 3:45 a.m. on Feb. 20, crews with the Petersburg Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services were called to the Pinetree apartment complex located in the southeastern part of the city for a reported structure fire.
Ellen Booth, who lives in the complex, said she woke up and saw the building next to hers engulfed in flames.
“The fire department came and told me I had to come out my apartment because the fire was coming over into my building,” said Booth.
According to authorities, one child was found dead and three others were injured as a result of the fire. One of the three people injured is currently in critical condition.
The fire is believed to have started in the bottom kitchen apartment and spread upward through the building. It is unclear if smoke detectors were a factor in the incident. All four of the victims lived in the downstairs area of the building, according to authorities.
“Our team is providing support to six families displaced by an early morning apartment fire in the 3100 block of Pinetree Drive in Petersburg,” a spokesperson with Red Cross Virginia said. “We will continue to work with local officials over the hours to come to determine if additional support is needed.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
This is a developing story, stay with 8News for updates.
