LYNCHBURG, Va. – Firefighters and police in Lynchburg are sharing safety tips and checking in on the community after a deadly fire last week.
Authorities said one resident was found dead under the stairwell on the first floor, and another resident managed to escape before firefighters got to the scene.
Paul Patrick tried saving the people inside the house when it was engulfed in flames. To this day, he said it’s still difficult knowing what happened.
“Pretty sad that whole day. In that situation…you put yourself in it. That’s my neighbor, so that can easily happen right across the street,” Patrick said.
Since fires can happen to anyone, police joined the Lynchburg Fire Department to conduct a walk through the 1200 block of Early Street to check in with neighbors.
Deputy Fire Chief of Operations, Marques Bush, said they asked residents how they were doing, but the residents were asking different questions.
“People are asking themselves are they prepared? And the question is, the way to find out if you’re prepared check and if you’re unsure what we want you to do is we want you to call us,” Bush said.
Part of their walk included checking to see if people had up-to-date smoke detectors. Firefighters brought some to hand out to residents that needed an upgrade.
“The biggest thing is having working smoke detectors. Understanding that you need to change the batteries at least twice a year. We recommend that when the time changes, you change your batteries,” Bush said.
Since the walk, Patrick has gone over a fire escape plan for himself and his daughters.
Patrick said having the firefighters and police come out during this time is good for the neighborhood, and that a lot of people in the area don’t have escape plans.
“It’s important to know that those that are in charge of running into the fire are coming out here just to reinforce the importance of paying attention,” Patrick said.