VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A house fire injured one person and displaced several others early Wednesday morning, according to the Virginia Beach Fire Department (VBFD).
VBFD said crews were dispatched to a fire 900 block of Maitland Drive in the Ocean Lakes area of the city. Firefighters responded to the two-story house fire and saw growing flames.
Three men were displaced, along with a bird and a service dog. One man was taken to the hospital with burn and inhalation injuries.
The fire was marked out at 1:24 a.m. No other injuries were reported. A house next door was also damaged by the fire.
“The Lord woke me up," said Don Wilburn, the homeowner. "I know that’s what happened.”
Wilburn said that wake-up call saved his life.
“If that hadn’t happened, like I said, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Wilburn said he fell asleep around 11 o'clock Tuesday night but wasn’t out for too long when he noticed a bright light coming from outside.
“I just happened to look down and the fire was already started and apparently started on the porch,” he said.
That’s when his instinct kicked in.
“I had to crawl on my hands and knees and get as low as I possibly could. I just couldn’t breathe," Wilburn said. "I climbed down the stairs, got to where the front door was. I could see the front door. The flames were shooting through the door.”
“Within 15 minutes, the place was gone,” he said. “I went on mind lock. I was so shocked. It was like numbing.”
Wilburn said he's grateful to be alive. Now, he’s looking to the next steps which are finding a place to live and rebuilding.
“I’m kind of looking forward to that actually," he said. "When that actually gets finished, I think I’ll be able to look back and say ‘Not a way I would recommend to get a new house!" he said.
Wilburn said his son went to the hospital to be treated for burns on his hands and head. He hopes his son will get out of the hospital later in the day.
The Red Cross is assisting those displaced by the fire and the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fire Marshal's Office.