HENRY COUNTY, VA – The cause of a Henry County house fire that rekindled continues to be investigated.
According to Henry County Assistant Fire Marshal Kiah Cooper, the preliminary findings suggest the fire started from a lithium battery in a child’s toy underneath the deck of the home.
“We were back out there yesterday afternoon doing more debris removal and trying to find other possible sources,” Assistant Fire Marshal Cooper told BTW21 News. “We did find the remains of a heat lamp as well. The insurance company will be in charge of assessing all of the items found and try to determine what definitely caused the fire.”
The large home on General Longstreet Court in the Chatmoss area of the county caught fire Saturday, January 13.
The family made it out safely, but at least 2 pets did not, according to firefighters.
Firefighters worked the fire for about 7 hours and saved half the structure.
Officials said windy conditions caused the fire to reignite and the structure was again fully engulfed when crews arrived around 8 a.m. Sunday, January 14.
The home is considered a total loss.
Volunteer fire departments from Dyers Store, Axton, Martinsville, Ridgeway and Bassett responded Sunday morning.
The Henry County Department of Public Safety also assisted.