ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, December 30, 1996 TAG: 9612300057
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH
A fire destroyed the top floor of a three-story apartment building Sunday night, leaving about 35 people homeless and causing $1 million in damages, the fire department said. No deaths were reported.
The blaze near the Oceana Naval Air Station destroyed 20 apartment units and badly damaged many more on the lower floors, said battalion chief Chase Sargent.
``I went out on the balcony and saw flames exploding out of their balcony,'' Karen Chesbrough said of her next-door neighbor's apartment. She called 911 and ran down the hallway with her husband, banging on doors.
A firefighter was hurt when a ceiling collapsed on him. He was taken to a hospital but his injuries were believed to be minor.
There was extensive smoke and water damage to the other 40 units in the building, most of which are occupied.
``The entire building is pretty much wiped out,'' Sargent said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Families displaced by the fire are staying in vacant apartments nearby or in hotels.
- Associated Press
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