Gloucester fire chief on apartment fire that killed family of 3: 'It took a toll on our people'

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. — When a Gloucester Volunteer Fire & Rescue member stepped outside his home directly across the street from the 4200 block of Hickory Fork Road early Sunday morning, he saw the garage already fully engulfed in flames — and then heard the explosions.What he did not yet know was that someone he knew was inside.Fire Chief J.D. Clements said one of the three victims who died in the garage apartment fire had connections to the department — a detail that made an already devastating call even harder to bear."I just can't emphasize how hard it is at any time, but to deal with somebody that you know on a daily basis, it just makes it that much harder," Clements said.WATCH: Drone video shows scene of garage apartment fire that killed 3 in GloucesterThe woman who died was the daughter of the family who owns the property next to the garage apartment — a family that also used to volunteer with Gloucester Fire. The investigation remains ongoing.

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