Elderly woman fighting for life after Petersburg house catches fire with her inside

PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — An elderly woman is in critical condition after a Petersburg home caught fire with her inside Thursday afternoon.

Just before 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17, firefighters with the Petersburg Fire Department were called to the 3300 block of Francis Street for report of a house fire.

According to fire officials, officers with the Petersburg Bureau of Police were the first to arrive at the scene, finding a single-story home with fire pouring from its front side and roof. The officers were told that someone was trapped inside the house.

Firefighters arrived very soon after and entered the home through the back. According to fire officials, they found an elderly woman and rescued her, taking her out of the house.

The fire was marked under control by 2:20 p.m. — however, it continued to burn for a while longer due to a ruptured natural gas line, which kept the fire going until Columbia Gas arrived and shut the gas off.

The elderly woman was taken to a local hospital, then flown to VCU Medical Center for treatment. She remains in critical condition as of the time of reporting.

Two adults and three children are without a home due to the fire’s extensive damage. They are being assisted by the Red Cross.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire was electrical in nature.

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