Fire Burns Madison Heights Family Out of Home

A Madison Heights family of four was displaced Monday evening after their house caught fire.

The single-story home at 141 Penn Lane retained “extensive heat and smoke damage,” displacing a mother and three children who lived at the residence, said Amherst County Director of Public Safety Gary Roakes.

A child skateboarding near the home around 7 p.m. noticed smoke and flames in the back, where an addition was being built, Roakes said.

Officials from the Monelison Fire Department and Rescue Squad, the Amherst Fire Department and the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene at 7:12 p.m. and kept the fire contained to the one room, Roakes said.

The Amherst County Department of Public Safety is investigating the fire, he said.

No one was hurt in the fire, including the three juveniles who were home at the time, he said.

They planned to stay with family Monday night, Roakes said, adding that he had also contacted the American Red Cross to provide assistance.