PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The fire that consumed a home in Portsmouth, claiming the life of one person, has been deemed "suspicious in nature" by fire marshals, and now detectives want to speak with three persons of interest in connection with the case.
Fire crews were sent to the 1100 block of Victory Boulevard late Wednesday night and upgraded the incident to a two-alarm multi-structure fire after they saw flames had engulfed both the first and second stories of the house.
One adult and three dogs ended up dying. Two children were rescued, but a total of 13 people were left without a home as a result.
Two other adults were hurt. Two kids also sustained injuries, one of whom was rushed to the hospital in serious, but stable condition.
PHOTOS: Deadly house fire on Victory Blvd. in Portsmouth
It took firefighters nearly an hour to extinguish the flames and even longer to stamp out lingering hot spots.
Alan Steele owns the destroyed house. He said he’s owned properties for about 18 years.
“They had to evacuate three little girls 10, 11, and 12 from that upstairs,” he said, “a single dad and his son in the other upstairs unit jumped out the window.”
During the fire, neighbors stepped in to help. Shirley Bedsole said she helped one of the tenants find something new to wear.
“He smelt like smoke. So, I went down and opened up and got him some clothes to put on,” said Bedsole.
Now the community is sharing their sympathies with the families.
“It was heartbreaking to find out that somebody lost their life and it was more heartbreaking to find out that a child was injured," said Bedsole.
“It’s a terrible thing that happened, because so many people live in that building," said Irving Haiss.
The Portsmouth Fire Marshal's Office is working with Portsmouth detectives to try to piece together what exactly happened. On Friday afternoon, Portsmouth Police said they had identified three people who may have "vital information" about the fire:
- 26-year-old Skyler L. Peacock stands approximately 6’ tall and weighs 135 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.
- 20-year-old James J. Yoder, Jr. stands approximately 5’9” tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.
- 33-year-old Amanda M. Nutt stands approximately 5’8” tall and weighs 135 pounds. She has brown hair and green eyes.
If you know the whereabouts of any of these three people, police ask that you call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or the Portsmouth Police Department Major Crimes Unit at (757) 393-8536. You can also submit a tip at www.portsmouthcrimeline.com.