by Larry Chowning –
Fire destroyed a weekend cottage at Grey’s Point Camp-RV Resort and Campground (GPC) in Topping on Monday, March 22, around 8:30 a.m. It spread to an adjoining cottage, causing severe damage. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze by spraying water onto the roof of close-by cottages, so the fire only spread to one other cottage. The cottages were believed vacant when the blaze broke out.
The smoke from the fire could be seen for miles along the Rappahannock River.
At the campground, cottages are located close together on the edge of the Rappahannock River bank and on narrow roads inside the campground, creating concern that the fire could spread throughout the campground.
Firefighters, however, from White Stone Volunteer Fire Department, Lower Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department in Deltaville, Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department in Hartfield and Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department in Urbanna fought to contain the fire.
On Monday, a Grey’s Point official indicated it was to early to determine the cause of fire. Grey’s Point is one of three large campgrounds owned in Middlesex and Gloucester counties by Encore RV Resorts Thousand Trails a national firm that owns campgrounds throughout the United States.
Be sure to pick up a copy of the March 25 print edition of the Southside Sentinel for more on this developing story.