Fire erupts in Shockoe, displacing three people

A fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom neighborhood spread to three buildings and left three residents displaced, according to officials.

The blaze drew a heavy response from the Richmond Fire Department, which had nearly 100 people on scene for hours in the middle of a heatwave. Two firefighters were being treated for what was believed to be heat exhaustion, according to Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal.

There were no injuries to anyone in the buildings when the fire started, the chief said.

As he briefed reporters a little before 3 p.m., Segal said it was too early to determine a cause.

"Right now, our primary focus is to make sure that we contain the fire and minimize the damage," Segal said.

The fire and smoke appeared to be mostly coming from the roof and top sections of buildings that contain businesses on the ground floor and residences on upper floors.

The first call for the fire came around 12:50 p.m., officials said. One person in the area reported hearing "popping sounds" just before they noticed the fire.

The fire began in a building located at 1706 E. Main St., according to officials, then spread to other buildings on both Main and 17th streets.

Firefighters constantly rotated in and out as the heat created difficult conditions.

"With heat conditions like this, it makes it harder for anything," Segal said.