A house fire in Albemarle County just west of Charlottesville city limits has displaced a family two days before Christmas.
There were no injuries to report on the scene.
The Albemarle County Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting an investigation, but early evidence suggests the fire was accidental in nature.
Career and volunteer fire crews were dispatched to a reported residential structure fire in the 10 block of Canterbury Road around 10:22 a.m. Monday. The property sits just over Charlottesville city limits and abuts the Birdwood Golf Course.
The house was unoccupied at the time the fire broke out, according to Albemarle County Fire Rescue.
The American Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents, including two adults and three children, according to the fire department.
The fire department used the opportunity to encourage residents to ensure their heating equipment is properly inspected and used, especially now during the coldest months of the year:
Heating equipment and chimneys should be cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.Anything that can burn should be kept at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, including furnaces, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and portable space heaters. There should also be a 3-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters.Portable heaters should be turned off when leaving a room or going to bed.Fireplaces should have a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into a room, and ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container a safe distance from the house.And smoke alarms should be tested at least once a month.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com