By Staff
even departments, 20 fire trucks respond to Pamlico Plantation blaze
By DAN PARSONS
Staff Writer
PAMLICO PLANTATION — A riverfront house in Pamlico Plantation, an upscale subdivision east of Washington, was consumed by fire Friday.
Neighbors said the blaze began at around 11:30 a.m.. By 12:30 p.m., the house had been reduced to a smoldering pile of ash, and firefighting crews continued to pour hundreds of gallons of water on what remained of the structure. Smoke billowed from beneath the skeleton of the building, of which only a few vertical pilings and a portion of the riverside porch remained standing.
The home, located on Riverview Road, belonged to Howard and Sheila Cadmus, according to neighbors gathered in a nearby yard. It was the couple’s primary residence, according to neighbor Ruth Lasiewski. She said the couple were home when the fire started.
Firefighters from several fire departments said the cause of the fire was unknown as of early Friday afternoon and that it was too early to begin an investigation into the cause of the blaze.
At least 20 fire trucks, including engines and tankers, responded to the fire. Firefighters from Bunyan, Washington, Pinetown, Bath, Old Ford, Aurora and Clark’s Neck fire departments were on scene by noon. Tankers relayed water from the nearest hydrant, which was a block away.
Embers from the fire ignited small brush fires in several areas surrounding the home. Heat from the blaze melted siding and shutters on two neighboring houses.