
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 28, 1993                   TAG: 9304280303
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK                                LENGTH: Medium

75 HOMELESS IN BLAZE DRIVEN BY NORFOLK GALE

A blaze whipped by winds from a Chesapeake Bay gale destroyed a row of apartments early Tuesday, sending 75 people fleeing for their lives through what one witness described as "raining fire."

Two people, a man and woman who appeared to be in their 20s, were seriously injured. The blaze destroyed 36 apartments at the Pretty Lake Village complex in East Ocean View.

Beverly Oliver, a Fire Department spokeswoman, said all 75 people who were known to be residents of the burned units had been accounted for. Still, a heavy crane was brought to the scene to remove rubble and search for any unknown victims.

In addition to the apartments, two adjacent houses were gutted, and at least one other building was damaged by the heat.

"I got up from the sound of the cracking of the fire," said Richard Rodgers, who lived in one of the gutted houses. "I looked out the window and all I saw was the flames. All I saw was raining fire. It was literally raining fire."

"I thought it was going to jump over and burn everything," said Jennifer Turner, who lives in a house across the street that escaped damage because it was upwind. "The moment I came out the door I could feel the heat."

Oliver said the fire was reported about 3:40 a.m. She said residents quickly scattered, and difficulty in tracking them down made it impossible to determine until midafternoon whether anyone was missing.

"All I saw were sparks flying, and people were screaming," said Christine Greenstreet, who lived in one of the apartments. "It was awful."

Some of the residents, like Rebecca Kelly, turned up at the East Ocean View Recreation Center for shelter. "Most of us have lost everything," she said.

The two injured people were taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where spokeswoman Debbie Myers said they were in critical condition. Their names were withheld pending notification of relatives.

Arson investigators were brought to the scene, but Fire Chief Carl Welch said the cause of the fire had not been determined.

Most of the destroyed apartments were in a long building with sections connected by breezeways. A smaller building on the downwind side of the long one also was destroyed, but another long structure across a narrow parking lot was untouched by the flames.

The area, which is at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, was under a gale warning with gusts exceeding 35 mph.

by CNB