Halsey Terrace on Garland Hill Destroyed by Fire
www.newsadvance.com
By Aaron Lee
alee@newsadvance.com
August 29, 2006
Lynchburg firefighters worked in shifts in low-90s heat throughout Tuesday afternoon trying to suffocate a fire that destroyed a historic apartment building.Gina Adler was at home at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when she smelled smoke, went outside, saw flames and called the fire department to her turn-of-the-century residence at 220 Madison St.The building is located in a designated historic area in downtown Lynchburg, off Fifth Street.At 5 p.m. Tuesday, crews were still working to put the fire out.Firefighters initially attacked the flames from inside, butmoved outside when the building started becoming unstable.Outside, hoses sprayed from all sides and onto the flaming roof as slate shingles and tan bricks broke off and cascaded three stories onto the porch roof below.Eventually most of the building’s roof collapsed inward, burying the flames that authorities said would keep fighters busy throughout the night.No damage was reported to the carriage house located on the same property, to the back right of the main house.Investigators with the Lynchburg Fire Marshal’s Office were not able to say what might have started the fire.One resident, a male, was taken to the hospital with injuries, but was not in the building when emergency crews arrived, said Robert Lipscomb, public information officer with the Lynchburg Fire Department.By 5 p.m., authorities reported the man had returned to Madison Street and was doing better.Built in 1899 by Ambrose H. Burroughs, a Campbell County native and prominent lawyer, the house sits on what was once a cow pasture at the apex of Garland Hill.The house was converted into apartments after Burroughs sold it in 1926.Jonathan Davies stood among a crowd of bystanders gathered along the historic Lynchburg street Tuesday afternoon, watching as firefighters battled the worst of the fire.Davies pointed to the now charred apartment he’s lived in since December. Everything in it is likely ruined.He wishes his grandfather’s violin had made it out.Adler, a field hockey coach at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, has lived in the building less than a month.She sat with her roommate Jennifer Crooke on a wall across the street talking with aid workers into the early evening. Crooke said her cat was in the apartment at the time of the fire and had not been seen.American Red Cross workers report all of the building’s handful of tenants had places to stay the night.
www.wset.com
Tuesday August 29, 2006 7:10pm Reporter: Leigh Forrester
Lynchburg, VA - One of Lynchburg's most historic homes went up in flames Tuesday. The Halsey Terrace Building was a home on Madison Street, but the fire actually forced crews to block off 5th Street. This has been a particularly tough fire to fight.The house was built in the late 1800's. Fire Captain Robert Lipscomb told me because it's so old, there are hidden spaces with fire just waiting to be discovered.Those who lived there had to sit on the sidewalk and watch their lives burn to the ground. It only took 3 minutes for fire crews to arrive here. But clearly speed wasn't the key to saving this historic house. Those that lived inside lost everything.Gina Adler, Lived Inside - "There was flames coming up to the second floor so I ran outside and called the fire department immediately. It's definitely sad. I feel sorry for a lot of people who, this is everything for them."Jane Kuhn, Lived Inside - "I just grabbed my cat and put on the first thing I could find and just came out."This massive house has been around for more than 100 years.Frances Calhoun, Garland Hill Neighborhood Assoc. - "That's the finest mansion in the whole district."But the fire didn't care, tearing through that history and destroying everything in its path.Kuhn - "There was a man on the first floor that was stretched out because he had inhaled too much smoke."That man was taken to the hospital. There were six apartments inside this house and lots of kindling.Kuhn - "Dark wood in the entry way and very large doors to those apartments. The apartments were all wooden floors and very unique."The roof is now caved in. The inside destroyed. And at least six people that we know of are without the comforts of what used to be known as Halsey Terrace.Kuhn - "I have seen reports of this happening all my life but it's surreal when it happens to you when you have no thought five minutes before, two minutes before that this would be happening so."At least six people lived in the building. The Red Cross is helping them. Right now firefighters don't know what caused this fire. And it might be sometime before they do. The building is still collapsing on itself so inspectors aren't even allowed inside.
Tuesday August 29, 2006 11:46pm Reporter: Leigh Forrester
Lynchburg, VA - A historic Lynchburg home was destroyed by fire early Tuesday afternoon. It was a big fire. So big, it forced city crews to close Fifth Street while firefighters attacked the blaze.Halsey Terrace was still smoldering Tuesday night. The building was turned into apartments in the 1920's. We're told at least six people were living inside. One man was taken to the hospital. There is no word on his condition.Firefighters say fire in a building this old is extremely hard to fight because the building has hidden spaces where the flames can hide. Those who live here say it took a while to notice the fire.Gina Adler, Halsey Terrace Resident - "There was flames coming up to the second floor so I ran outside and called the fire department immediately."Jane Kuhn, Halsey Terrace Resident - "I just grabbed my cat and put on the first thing I could find and just came out."Viewing the house from the back shows that it's almost entirely gone. The Red Cross is helping residents over the next few days. They'll be providing food, clothing and shelter. Investigators are still trying to figure out what started the fire.
www.wdbj7.com
An historic home went up in flames in downtown Lynchburg. Authorities aren't sure how it started, but they spent the better part of Tuesday afternoon putting it out.
Fire fighters said this was a fast-moving fire that may have had a pretty good head start before crews could start throwing water on it. The got the call just before noon. The porch in the back of the Halsey Terrace Building at 220 Madison Street was on fire.
It wasn't long before the fire had extended into the back of the three-story building. Then flames began shooting through the roof. The unsafe conditions forced firefighters to back out. Minutes
later, large portions of the roof caved in.
The house was built in 1899 and for 80 years, it has served as an apartment building. It's described as a classic example of both Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Now it's mostly destroyed, and the Red Cross is helping out the six people who'd lived there.
By Aaron Lee
alee@newsadvance.com
August 29, 2006
Lynchburg firefighters worked in shifts in low-90s heat throughout Tuesday afternoon trying to suffocate a fire that destroyed a historic apartment building.Gina Adler was at home at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when she smelled smoke, went outside, saw flames and called the fire department to her turn-of-the-century residence at 220 Madison St.The building is located in a designated historic area in downtown Lynchburg, off Fifth Street.At 5 p.m. Tuesday, crews were still working to put the fire out.Firefighters initially attacked the flames from inside, butmoved outside when the building started becoming unstable.Outside, hoses sprayed from all sides and onto the flaming roof as slate shingles and tan bricks broke off and cascaded three stories onto the porch roof below.Eventually most of the building’s roof collapsed inward, burying the flames that authorities said would keep fighters busy throughout the night.No damage was reported to the carriage house located on the same property, to the back right of the main house.Investigators with the Lynchburg Fire Marshal’s Office were not able to say what might have started the fire.One resident, a male, was taken to the hospital with injuries, but was not in the building when emergency crews arrived, said Robert Lipscomb, public information officer with the Lynchburg Fire Department.By 5 p.m., authorities reported the man had returned to Madison Street and was doing better.Built in 1899 by Ambrose H. Burroughs, a Campbell County native and prominent lawyer, the house sits on what was once a cow pasture at the apex of Garland Hill.The house was converted into apartments after Burroughs sold it in 1926.Jonathan Davies stood among a crowd of bystanders gathered along the historic Lynchburg street Tuesday afternoon, watching as firefighters battled the worst of the fire.Davies pointed to the now charred apartment he’s lived in since December. Everything in it is likely ruined.He wishes his grandfather’s violin had made it out.Adler, a field hockey coach at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, has lived in the building less than a month.She sat with her roommate Jennifer Crooke on a wall across the street talking with aid workers into the early evening. Crooke said her cat was in the apartment at the time of the fire and had not been seen.American Red Cross workers report all of the building’s handful of tenants had places to stay the night.www.wset.com
Tuesday August 29, 2006 7:10pm Reporter: Leigh Forrester
Lynchburg, VA - One of Lynchburg's most historic homes went up in flames Tuesday. The Halsey Terrace Building was a home on Madison Street, but the fire actually forced crews to block off 5th Street. This has been a particularly tough fire to fight.The house was built in the late 1800's. Fire Captain Robert Lipscomb told me because it's so old, there are hidden spaces with fire just waiting to be discovered.Those who lived there had to sit on the sidewalk and watch their lives burn to the ground. It only took 3 minutes for fire crews to arrive here. But clearly speed wasn't the key to saving this historic house. Those that lived inside lost everything.Gina Adler, Lived Inside - "There was flames coming up to the second floor so I ran outside and called the fire department immediately. It's definitely sad. I feel sorry for a lot of people who, this is everything for them."Jane Kuhn, Lived Inside - "I just grabbed my cat and put on the first thing I could find and just came out."This massive house has been around for more than 100 years.Frances Calhoun, Garland Hill Neighborhood Assoc. - "That's the finest mansion in the whole district."But the fire didn't care, tearing through that history and destroying everything in its path.Kuhn - "There was a man on the first floor that was stretched out because he had inhaled too much smoke."That man was taken to the hospital. There were six apartments inside this house and lots of kindling.Kuhn - "Dark wood in the entry way and very large doors to those apartments. The apartments were all wooden floors and very unique."The roof is now caved in. The inside destroyed. And at least six people that we know of are without the comforts of what used to be known as Halsey Terrace.Kuhn - "I have seen reports of this happening all my life but it's surreal when it happens to you when you have no thought five minutes before, two minutes before that this would be happening so."At least six people lived in the building. The Red Cross is helping them. Right now firefighters don't know what caused this fire. And it might be sometime before they do. The building is still collapsing on itself so inspectors aren't even allowed inside.
Tuesday August 29, 2006 11:46pm Reporter: Leigh Forrester
Lynchburg, VA - A historic Lynchburg home was destroyed by fire early Tuesday afternoon. It was a big fire. So big, it forced city crews to close Fifth Street while firefighters attacked the blaze.Halsey Terrace was still smoldering Tuesday night. The building was turned into apartments in the 1920's. We're told at least six people were living inside. One man was taken to the hospital. There is no word on his condition.Firefighters say fire in a building this old is extremely hard to fight because the building has hidden spaces where the flames can hide. Those who live here say it took a while to notice the fire.Gina Adler, Halsey Terrace Resident - "There was flames coming up to the second floor so I ran outside and called the fire department immediately."Jane Kuhn, Halsey Terrace Resident - "I just grabbed my cat and put on the first thing I could find and just came out."Viewing the house from the back shows that it's almost entirely gone. The Red Cross is helping residents over the next few days. They'll be providing food, clothing and shelter. Investigators are still trying to figure out what started the fire.
www.wdbj7.com
An historic home went up in flames in downtown Lynchburg. Authorities aren't sure how it started, but they spent the better part of Tuesday afternoon putting it out.Fire fighters said this was a fast-moving fire that may have had a pretty good head start before crews could start throwing water on it. The got the call just before noon. The porch in the back of the Halsey Terrace Building at 220 Madison Street was on fire.
It wasn't long before the fire had extended into the back of the three-story building. Then flames began shooting through the roof. The unsafe conditions forced firefighters to back out. Minutes
later, large portions of the roof caved in.The house was built in 1899 and for 80 years, it has served as an apartment building. It's described as a classic example of both Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Now it's mostly destroyed, and the Red Cross is helping out the six people who'd lived there.
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