(Roanoke County, VA—February 23, 2022) Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded at 10:25 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22, 2022 to the 500 block of South Pollard Street, in the Town of Vinton, for the report of a commercial structure fire in an apartment building. First arriving crews from Station 2 (Vinton) found smoke inside the brick two-story structure and marked it a working fire. The brick house had been turned into 2 apartments. The occupant of the apartment where the fire occurred was not at home. The occupant of the upstairs apartment was displaced and was staying at a local hotel with the help of friends. Both apartments will be displaced. There were no injuries. We appreciate the assistance of Roanoke Fire and EMS on this call. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office was on scene to investigate a cause and provide a damage estimate.The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office has concluded their investigation and determined that the fire on South Pollard Street last night was accidental and caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. Damage estimates are $10,000. The occupants of the apartments were not officially displaced but did choose to stay elsewhere last night.
