Friday morning apartment fire sends one person to D.C. burn center

The scene at the intersection of Virginia Ave. and Fifth St. Friday morning. Photos/Roger Bianchini

One resident of an apartment building at 502 Virginia Avenue was medevaced by helicopter to the Med Star Burn Center in Washington D.C. in the wake of a fire the morning of Friday, June 15.  As of late Friday morning his condition was reported as unknown.

Residents watch with concern as fire and rescue appeared to keep the fire localized to one, third-floor area at the fire’s source.

The fire reported at 8:43 a.m. appeared to be largely confined to the area of a third floor apartment on the southeastern side of the three-story building.  The scene appeared to be cleared of Warren County Fire and Rescue responders and town police that had cordoned off the scene shortly after 10 a.m.

According to Warren County Fire Marshal Gerry Maiatico, upon arrival first responders found one victim lying in the third-floor hallway with burn injuries.  The victim was extracted from the building and transported by ambulance to the nearby Randolph-Macon Academy campus soccer fields to connect to a medical evacuation helicopter.

The first medical transport helicopter heads in

Asked if the appearance of a second helicopter a short time later indicated a second victim, Maiatico said no, rather the first helicopter had developed mechanical problems, leading to dispatch of a second helicopter to transport the victim to the Washington D.C. burn center.

A short time later a second helicopter was dispatched to facilitate the transport

Maiatico would not comment on the victim’s identity.  However, a 2005 Wal-mart Associate of the Month plaque lying on the ground near some clothes that appeared to have been thrown from one of the fire-scene apartment windows to be hosed down bore the name Preston Jenkins.

Belongings from the apartment where fire appeared to originate were tossed out and watered down by firefighters…

One resident returning to the building after the scene was cleared verified Jenkins as the occupant of the apartment where the fire was centered – “I’m praying for him,” they said.

Including this plaque with a name identified by one resident as the lone occupant of the apartment where the fire is believed to have been located.

The bright yellow markings of the involved helicopters indicated they were likely from the Front Royal Airport-based PHI Air Care 4 service.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Maiatico said.