Passerby alerts woman to fire as townhouse gutted in Waynesboro
WAYNESBORO — An early-morning fire Tuesday gutted a residence at the Dorcliffe Townhouses on Bridge Avenue in Waynesboro.
Battalion Chief David Nichols of the City of Waynesboro Fire Department said the fire was called in shortly before 4:30 a.m. Nichols said a motorist was passing the complex and spotted the flames. The motorist then alerted a woman living at unit 1058, an end unit, and Nichols said she escaped unharmed with her cat.
Nichols said some units at the complex are rented and others are owned. "That was owner-occupied," he said of the unit that caught fire.
The fire is under investigation, and on Tuesday morning at the scene Nichols said a cause had yet to be established. "We're just getting started," he said.
The unit, which was missing its roof, was nearly a complete loss, he said.
Nichols, who is also Waynesboro's fire marshal, said a townhouse adjacent to the unit that caught fire was also damaged. "Mainly water damage and some smoke damage," he said.
Besides Waynesboro firefighters, Augusta County Fire-Rescue responded to the scene as did the Dooms Volunteer Fire Department and the Waynesboro First Aid Crew, according to Nichols. No injuries were reported.
The battalion chief said snow and ice from the recent winter storm did not hamper efforts to put out the fire.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Passerby alerts woman to fire as townhouse gutted in Waynesboro
