CULPEPER, Va. — Police officers and firefighters rescued an unresponsive resident from a burning home Saturday, October 3, according to the Culpeper Police Department. Three officers were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation and other injuries.
Police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel responded about 6 p.m. to the 1500 block of Old Fredericksburg Road.
Officers found heavy smoke coming from a two-story home and received reports that people might still be inside.
Officer A. Sain entered the home to search for occupants and force open interior doors.
Officer N. Coffey arrived moments later and joined the search.
On the second floor, the officers found a bedroom door locked from the inside, with smoke coming from above and beneath it.
The outward-opening door was obstructed, police said. Coffey used a pocket tool to unlock it.
Heavy black smoke poured from the bedroom, where flames were visible.
Sgt. D. Cole and Officer M. Beel joined the officers on the second floor.
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After receiving no response to their calls, Coffey crawled into the bedroom and found an unresponsive resident on a bed.
He pulled the resident onto the floor, and the four officers moved the person into the upstairs hallway.
Firefighter-paramedics J. Kline and Joe Markiewicz, with Culpeper County’s Office of Emergency Services, reached the top of the stairs and found the officers struggling with the effects of smoke inhalation.
They took over moving the resident toward safety, with firefighter-paramedic W. Rohling helping carry the person outside.
Additional crews extinguished the fire.
All occupants were removed from the home, police said.
The rescued resident was taken to UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center and later transferred to a regional burn center.
Police did not provide an update on the resident’s condition.
Three officers were also taken to UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center. They were treated and released that evening.
From the CPD:
The Culpeper Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to all responding fire departments, emergency medical personnel, dispatchers, and public safety partners whose coordinated response helped bring this incident under control:
- Culpeper County Office of Emergency Services – Company 12
- Brandy Station Volunteer Fire Department – Company 2
- Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department – Company 1
- Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue – Company 9
- Reva Volunteer Fire and Rescue – Company 16
- Salem Volunteer Fire and Rescue – Company 8
- Culpeper Volunteer Rescue Squad – Company 11
- Remington Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department – Company 2, Fauquier County
- Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office
- Virginia State Police
The Department also thanks the medical professionals at UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center for the care provided to the resident and the three injured police officers.
Culpeper police detectives are investigating the fire with assistance from Virginia State Police arson investigators. The investigation remains ongoing.
