13 displaced, no injuries after fire damages 8 apartments in Virginia Beach

More than a dozen people have been displaced Thursday in Virginia Beach after a fire damaged eight apartment units on Pheasant Run.

According to Barbara Morrison with the Virginia Beach Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched at about 4 p.m. to the 600 block of Pheasant Run. The first unit arrived about five minutes later, and by 5 p.m., the department considered the fire under control.

When units arrived at the scene off South Lynnhaven Road, “heavy smoke and flames were seen from the second floor of the (apartment) unit.” Fire spread “quickly” to other apartments, and Morrison said eight units were damaged. In addition to the 13 residents displaced, the department said six dogs and two cats are displaced. The Red Cross is assisting with housing, and no injuries were reported.

Morrison said the cause of the fire was accidental. Investigators at the scene found the fire started in a trashcan in the stairwell on the second floor, which likely ignited after “smoking material” was thrown away.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com