May 12, 2008

One person had to be rescued from a burning building Monday morning.

The fire broke out shortly before 6 a.m. at a duplex on North Berkshire Road in Charlottesville.

One side of the duplex was severely damaged by the flames.

Police Officers Chris Hockman and Shawn Marshall were first to arrive on the scene. They found heavy smoke pouring from the roof and windows of the two-story duplex.

When they heard a man trying to escape from a first floor window, they quickly reacted.

"We grabbed the guy by the arms kicked out the rest of the window, and pulled him out of the fire," said Hockman.

Several fire crews arrived just moments later and say the prompt response of the officers was life saving.

"The police officers made a tremendous difference, we pulled up directly after them, and you know with a fire...seconds count," said David Hartman of the Charlottesville Fire Department.

The person pulled from the fire was taken to the hospital. It is believed he suffered only minor injures.

Two people on the other side of the duplex made it out safely on their own.

Crews had a hard time fighting the fire because of strong winds this morning.

The right side of the duplex suffered severe damage. The interior is considered to be a total loss.

Investigators are working on determining a cause.