Man succumbs to injuries from fire
Published 6:10 pm Friday, October 29, 2021
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A man rescued from a house fire on Oct. 24 passed away as a result of his injuries.
Tommy Collins, 70, died on Oct. 28, according to a city press release. He lived in the home and was initially transported to an area hospital in critical condition.
The fire in the 700 block of Hollywood Avenue was reported at 1:26 a.m. Sunday, and the first unit arrived on scene at 1:31 a.m. to find fire showing from the front. They found one person had already been rescued by citizens and also learned that Collins, who was disabled and bedridden, was trapped inside.
Firefighters from Ladder 3 entered a rear window in heavy smoke conditions with zero visibility. They were able to cut the window to make a large opening, and Collins was rescued through the opening 10 minutes after firefighters had arrived on scene. He was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by Nightingale.
The other citizen declined transportation to the hospital, and there were no injuries to firefighters. The residence sustained heavy fire, smoke and heat damage. The fire was called under control at 1:54 a.m.
Battalion Chief and Fire Marshal Chris Cornwell stated that the cause of the fire has been deemed officially undetermined; however, it is believed to be accidental in nature.