A fire that occurred at a Roanoke business on Thursday was ruled accidental, according to Roanoke Fire-EMS. The fire was reported at 5:48 p.m. at the Virginia Transformer Corporation on Glade View Drive NE. Smoke was visible coming from the building, but there were no visible flames reported by WDBJ7 crews on the scene.
Firefighters assessed the situation and determined that foam would be needed to extinguish the flames due to the materials inside the building. The fire was brought under control within an hour, and all employees were able to safely evacuate. One civilian and one firefighter were evaluated on the scene but did not require hospitalization.
The extent of the damages caused by the fire has not yet been released. Roanoke Fire-EMS expressed gratitude to several agencies and organizations that assisted in responding to the incident, including Roanoke County Air 9, Salem Hazardous Materials, VDEM Hazardous Materials Officer Brian Thurman, the Roanoke Fire Marshal’s Office, E-911 Center, and the Roanoke Police Department. Mission BBQ also provided food and water for all units on the scene.