Nelson County firefighters battle blaze, frozen gear

LOVINGSTON — Firefighters weathering temperatures in the low 20s on Saturday afternoon beat back a fire that ultimately destroyed a Nelson County home and sent a firefighter to the hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency crews arrived around 2:30 p.m. at a house along U.S. 29 north of Lovingston, where they found smoke pouring from the residence.

Crews initially tried to attack the blaze from the inside of the house at 12211 Thomas Nelson Highway, but retreated after the roof began caving in, said Ray Uttaro, Nelson County’s emergency services coordinator.

Mike Bullock and his son Lewis, who live next door to the destroyed house, arrived home around 4 p.m. from a trip to Charlottesville to see the aftermath.

“It was kind of a real weird feeling,” said Mike Bullock, who at first thought it was his house on fire.

The father and son watched as smoke billowed from busted-out windows and as several firefighters worked the fire in gear covered in ice crystals. Uttaro said crews also had at least one nozzle ice-over.

Uttaro said the family living in the house — three adults and a 3-year-old child — were not injured. The family is staying in another residence owned by their landlord and is being assisted by the Red Cross.

Terrence Musser, a volunteer with the Lovingston Volunteer Fire Department who was taken to the University of Virginia Medical Center, was treated for smoke inhalation and later released, Uttaro said.

Authorities are still investigating the fire, but said the family reported having an electrical issue earlier in the day.

Crews, some of whom were leaving an earlier, relatively minor house fire in the Norwood area when the second fire call was dispatched, were on the scene until about 6 p.m., Uttaro said.

Albemarle fire destroys singlewide trailer

A fire completely destroyed a singlewide trailer in the Southwood Mobile Home Park in Albemarle County on Saturday morning.

Firefighters were called to the 1300 block of Butternut Lane around 10:40 a.m. and cleared the scene around 1:30 p.m.

No injuries were re-ported, according to James Barber, assistant chief of fire prevention at the Albemarle Fire Rescue Department.

Barber said the trailer was a rental where five people were living. Not all of the occupants were home when the fire broke out.

The fire caused minor damage to properties on either side of the destroyed trailer, he said.

The occupants of the trailer were provided with food, clothes and lodging at a local hotel, Barber said.

Fire departments from Charlottesville, Monticello, North Garden and East Rivanna responded to the blaze.