61 people were displaced by electrical-panel blaze

Sixty-one people were evacuated from the Suffolk Towers apartment building on North Main Street in downtown Suffolk on Sunday during a two-alarm fire that city officials said originated in an electrical panel on the fourth floor of the eight-story building.

Firefighters rescued one man in his 40s from the seventh floor of the building using the ladder from Ladder 6 when they saw him seeking assistance from his window as they were assessing the situation, according to a press release from Suffolk spokeswoman Diana Klink.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 2:09 p.m. and upon arriving two minutes later found heavy smoke on the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the building, Klink stated. They immediately began evacuating the building.

The man who was rescued was seen attempting to open his window, and rescue personnel were able to get him out of his apartment and onto the ladder’s platform. He was given a medical assessment when he was on the ground.

None of the residents or responding emergency personnel suffered injuries during the incident, according to Klink.

Klink stated that the building’s management had estimated the total number of residents in the structure at 61. The American Red Cross of Coastal Virginia is assisting 41 of those people, including two children, who were displaced by the fire, housing them at the EconoLodge and Days Inn on Holland Road. The other 20 residents made their own arrangements.

Two local churches, Main Street United Methodist Church and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, came to the aid of the victims following the evacuation, Klink stated. The churches fed the victims before they were taken by a bus and a van from Suffolk Parks and Recreation to the hotels that had been booked for them.

First Baptist Church in Suffolk also volunteered its assistance, and both Baron’s Pub and WalWin Carpet, which are located on the ground floor of the high-rise building provided temporary shelter from the rain for the victims as they were evacuated, Klink stated.

Dominion Virginia Power and the building’s maintenance team responded to the scene, and power was secured for the residences after firefighters had brought the blaze under control at 3:18 p.m.

There was no water damage to the building, as dry chemicals and carbon dioxide were used to extinguish the fire. The building suffered only minor smoke damage, Klink stated in the release. The two retail establishments had no damage.

Officials from the city’s Community Development Division responded to the scene to advise the maintenance crew on the requirements that must be met for the power to be restored.

Battalions 1 and 2; Engines 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6; EMS-1; Ladder 6; Medics 1A, 3A and 6A; Rescue-1, Rescue-6 and Rehab 6 responded to the scene. Driver Volunteer Fire Department provided backup at Station 10, Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department staffed Engine 29 at Station 1 and provided backup at Station 9, Holland Volunteer Fire Department provided backup at Station 7, and Nansemond Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad provided backup at Station 2 with two ALS Medics during the incident.

A portion of North Main Street adjacent to the building was closed for several hours during the fire and the cleanup effort.