AMELIA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A fire destroyed the home of an Amelia County Parks and Recreation employee.
Amelia fire crews responded to a residence along Spring Hill Lane on Monday, Aug. 14. Because of the heat and lack of manpower, crews from Crewe, Chesterfield and Powhatan were also called in to assist. Firefighters were on the scene for around four hours.
Lelia Patrick said her home, and everything in it, was destroyed.
“This is unbelievable. Unbelievable. Because you see those things happen to people all the time, but you don’t imagine it happening to you,” she said.
Patrick told 8News she was home when the fire started and she believes it was caused by an electrical issue that started in the kitchen.
“We were just standing there talking and we started smelling stuff. Next thing we know the house was on fire. Smoking like crazy,” she said. “Me standing there watching my home burn, that’s something that you don’t just get over.”
According to Patrick, what affected her the most was the spare room, where her children’s school items and photo albums were kept, being charred to pieces.
“I just cried. I couldn’t help it. I was OK for a little while and then after it was blazing up more and more I just fell to pieces,” Patrick said. “It just hurt, you know, your home [you’ve] been in for so long and all these memories you have in here are gone.”
The community is now pitching in to help. Patrick has been working at the Amelia County Parks and Recreation Department for the past couple of years. They have set up a donation fund in her name at Citizen’s Bank and Trust Company.
“Trying to comfort her knowing I wanted to fall to pieces too was very hard,” Dontevia Anderson, Patrick’s daughter, said.
Patrick plans to rebuild her home at the same location.
“The love and support has been outpouring,” Patrick said. “I’m planning to come back here. I’m coming back here. Can’t get rid of me like that. I’m coming back.”
In the meantime, the Red Cross is helping the family with a place to stay.
