NEWPORT NEWS — A large, multi-unit fire on 51st Street in Newport News has caused one fatality and one injury, according to the Newport News Fire Chief Wesley Rogers.
The fire occurred on the 300 block of 51st Street and left six families without a place to go, Rogers said. The call for the fire came in at 1:47 a.m. Sunday. According to the incident report 43 units responded.
When firefighters arrived, the primary home was fully engulfed in flames. This caused houses to the left and a house to the right to receive fire damage. Each house impacted was a duplex, meaning that three separate houses had fire damage and six different units total. As each home was three stories, Rogers said it took longer to get the fire under control and to locate residents.
One person died on scene and another was taken to the hospital for their injuries. The fire department has not released the identity of anyone involved. Rogers said the fire department will release names once the cause of the fire has been determined and the family of the deceased has been contacted.
The Red Cross was on the scene to provide resources for families impacted.
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