From news release: Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded at about 5:00 a.m., on Thursday, January 25, 2018 to the 3300 block of Circle Brook Drive, in the Pebble Creek Apartments, which is in the Cave Spring area of Roanoke County for the report of a structure fire. First arriving crews did find flames and heavy smoke coming from a ground floor apartment. Crews from Cave Spring, Clearbrook, and Back Creek responded to the fire. There were no injuries and no residents will be displaced. The apartment building had been evacuated prior to the arrival of the fire department. The fire was brought under control in about 15 minutes and was confined to the outdoor porch, however there is some smoke damage to the apartment above the fire. Some residents were reporting that the fire alarms did not sound. However, this apartment building does not have automatic fire alarms because that was not a code requirement when the building was built. There are battery operated smoke alarms in the individual apartments and those likely did not sound because the fire was located on the exterior of the building and not enough smoke made it to the interior to sound the smoke alarm. Residents of the apartment building were alerted to the fire by other residents who knocked on doors and told them to evacuate. Some residents also attempted to extinguish the fire with portable fire extinguishers that are located in the common areas of the apartment complex. The fire marshal’s office has investigated the fire and the cause is undetermined with estimated damages at $6000.
