PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Robert Norris' grandparents owned the corner house on Beechdale Road for more than 50 years.
Now, the memories inside the home he's grown up visiting and living in, is burnt and charred.
"It was pitch black everywhere in the hallway," Norris said.
Wednesday morning, roughly 35 firefighters responded to the home fire on Beechdale Road, putting out the blaze in about 10 minutes.
The Deputy Fire Chief told 13News Now much of the responding crew came from a nearby and previous call. Firefighters salvaged what they could from the aftermath, with the house's roof and walls staying intact.
"Somehow the fire didn’t spread to that room but the smoke did, I might be able to salvage some stuff," Norris said.
Officials said one person, who Norris told 13News Now is his granddad, was hospitalized and is in critical condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Norris said his grandmother, who was not home at the time the fire broke out, is coping but still in shock.
"Heard my grandad screaming, crying out for help and I wanted to get to him, but the heat was so strong it pushed me back into my room," Norris said.
The deputy chief also said that the crews were able to safely extract the trapped occupant from the home within a minute and a half of getting to the scene.
Crews have not yet determined the cause.