By Carol Vaughn —
Accomack County volunteer firefighters were kept busy over the last weekend responding to several fires.
Two structure fires, one Friday, April 30, on Nocks Landing Road in Atlantic and another Saturday, May 1, on Cattail Road near Bloxom, are under investigation by the Virginia State Police, according to police spokesperson Sgt. Michelle Anaya.
Anaya said Monday the causes of both fires are unknown at this time.
Firefighters had to contend with high winds Friday and Saturday while fighting the blazes.
Three structures on Nocks Landing Road were destroyed Friday night by a fire, which was reported around 9:05 p.m., Atlantic Fire Chief David Grant confirmed.
Units from Atlantic, New Church, Greenbackville, Chincoteague, Bloxom, Parksley, and Oak Hall Rescue responded.
No injuries were reported.
A woods fire on Big Road in Bloxom was reported just after midnight Saturday, May 1. Several acres were burned, according to a post on the Parksley Volunteer Fire Company Facebook page.
A residential structure fire was reported around 7:45 a.m. Saturday on Barns Circle, off Fox Grove Road near Parksley, resulting in total loss of the residence.
Crews from Parksley, Tasley, Bloxom, Onancock, Saxis, Greenbackville, Atlantic, New Church, and Wallops responded, according to a post on the Tasley Volunteer Fire Company Facebook page.
The occupants were safe, according to the Parksley Fire Company post.
Crews remained on the scene for more than six hours.
Crews responded to a brush fire across the street from the house fire on Fox Grove Road around 9:06 a.m. Saturday, and to a woods fire in the same area around 2:45 p.m.
Additionally, firefighters were recalled to the scene of the structure fire around 8 p.m., according to the post.
At around 10:11 p.m. Saturday, firefighters from multiple companies were called to respond to a fully involved residential structure fire on Cattail Road near Bloxom.
Bloxom, Parksley, Tasley, Onancock, Atlantic, and Saxis were alerted.
The chief in command at the scene requested Virginia State Police and the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office to respond.
It took firefighters around two hours to control the blaze. A small woods fire behind the structure was contained quickly, according to the Parksley Volunteer Fire Company post.
Crews remained on the scene for several hours and firefighters from Bloxom and Parksley were recalled to the scene Sunday morning.
No injuries were reported.
WESR radio also reported units from Melfa, Painter, Wachapreague, Onancock, and Exmore and the Virginia Department of Forestry responded to a series of brush fires on Shepard’s Plain Drive in the Boston area Saturday at around 6:30 a.m.
The Parksley Volunteer Fire Company in a post Monday thanked dispatchers with the Eastern Shore of Virginia 9-1-1 Center for their work during the spate of fire and EMS calls over the weekend.
“The Parksley Volunteer Fire Company officers and membership would like to say ‘Great Job’ to our dispatchers with the Eastern Shore of Virginia 9-1-1 Communications Center. They dispatched multiple EMS and Fire calls over the weekend even at one point I believe every Accomack County station was out on a fire or EMS call. The dispatchers are generally forgotten about but they are the first link to the whole process and deserve recognition as well, So again, thank you very much! You guys rocked it this weekend,” the post said.
