LEBANON, Va. (WJHL) – More than half of the residents of an apartment building in Lebanon, Virginia were sent to the hospital after a fire early Saturday morning.
Russell County Emergency Management Director Jess Powers told News Channel 11 that seven occupants of the building on Flatwoods Drive were transported to nearby hospitals. A responding EMS member was also transported due to smoke inhalation.
According to Powers, a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old were among the injured. Powers said the children were caught by first responders on the ground after they were trapped in their third-floor apartment.
One woman was later transferred to a hospital in North Carolina due to the extent of her injuries, Powers said.
While the fire is still under investigation, Powers said it appears to have started on the second floor. The building, known locally as the Gilbert Street Apartments, features six units. Powers said one unit was vacant.
As of Monday, no deaths had been reported as a result of the fire.
Powers told News Channel 11 that all but one fire department in Russell County responded to the scene Saturday. The Dante Volunteer Fire Department was retained in the event another emergency occurred elsewhere in the county.
A ladder truck from the Abingdon Fire Department also responded to the fire.
According to Powers, the Red Cross and Salvation Army are assisting the displaced residents. The building was destroyed in the fire, with the roof and floors reportedly sustaining heavy damage.
