‘All I heard was ‘Help!”: Chesterfield neighbor recounts heroic rescue as fire officials increase safety outreach

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — After a series of deadly house fires across Richmond and Chesterfield County, both heroic neighbors and regional fire officials are emphasizing the importance of fire safety and early detection.

In Chesterfield, officials said a late-night fire just before 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6 left a couple displaced after flames broke out at a home on Darlene Street.

Neighbor Tiffany Holmes said she first realized something was wrong when she heard shouting outside.

"All I heard was, 'Help, help, help!'," she said. "I looked out the window and all I see was the house behind me had fire."

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Holmes said her father rushed outside to help before crews arrived.

"The wife of the [home]owner -- she was trapped on the front of the house, and my dad had to pull her over the side of the banister to get her out," Holmes said.

Holmes said she called 911 while her father assisted their neighbors. Fire officials said the couple was not injured, though they were displaced by the fire's damage. The cause remains under investigation.

"What you see in the movies -- it does not compare to real life," Holmes said.

Tuesday's fire is one of more than a dozen house fires 8News has reported on across Richmond and Chesterfield over the past month.

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In response, Richmond firefighters have stepped up fire safety outreach, going door-to-door in the city’s Southside to speak directly with residents on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

"The biggest message that we want to make is smoke alarms for early detection," said Richmond Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal, who led this effort. "It saves lives."

The Richmond Fire Department ultimately canvassed 90 homes on Wednesday, making 30 contacts with residents and installing eight smoke detectors.

These efforts come after an accidental fire on Schutte Avenue that killed a 73-year-old man on Dec. 30, 2025. Earlier that same month, on Dec. 13, 2025, a 70-year-old woman and her 10-year-old grandson died in a house fire on N. 22nd Street.

Officials say fire activity typically increases during the heating season and that departments across the region are working together to reduce risk.

“Data shows that during this time of the year heating season, fires do increase,” Segal said. "But we're also taking a regional approach with our regional partners, Chesterfield and Henrico and etc, and you're going to see more of a regional approach to really educate everyone in the region about fire safety."

Richmond fire officials said door-to-door outreach efforts will continue across the city.