Wind-whipped Stingray Point fire fully engulfs two bayside dwellings

Fire destroys two homes in Deltaville,
firefighters prevent further spread

UPDATE

Wind-driven fire quickly consumed two houses on Stingray Point on Thursday, Jan. 30.

By the time the first firefighter arrived the waterfront homes were a glowing torrent of orange flames as east wind off Chesapeake Bay fed the fire. “They were fully involved, fire was coming from every opening . . . they couldn’t be saved,” said Kyle McNamee, captain with the Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department.

McNamee had just finished dinner at the Galley Restaurant, when the call came in at 9:11 p.m. He headed east towards the end of General Puller Highway (Route 33), three miles east. From a half mile away, he saw the monster’s aura in the sky and through the trees glimpsed the raging devil firefighters would battle. Winds of at least 20 miles per hour whipped the flames that swirled high into the night sky.

Kyle McNamee, who also is a professional firefighter in Williamsburg, was first on scene. As incident commander, he took a defensive stance — “keep the fire from spreading.” His biggest concern was the two adjacent houses on either side of the blaze. Their siding had already melted. Embers blew across Chesapeake Blvd., igniting small but threatening grass fires in the yards of neighbors. Firefighters searched for fire pockets behind these houses to the west.

Hydrants

Fortunately there was a fire hydrant nearby. Firefighters had to run only 200 feet of hose to connect the hydrant to Engine 43 a new “pumper” truck of Lower Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (LMVFD) that was at its first big test. (A week earlier Engine 43 was used at a boat fire.) Engine 43 pressurized the water so it could be sprayed at 650 gallons per minute.

The Middlesex Water Authority built a municipal 42-mile-long water system about five years ago. Although the MWA is separate from Middlesex County, the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors invested $1 million to increase the pipe size to deliver 600-700 gallons per minute to fight fires. The water to fight this fire came from wells 19 miles away near Urbanna.

“The hydrant was a huge help,” said Kyle McNamee. “It was instrumental in our operation. Without that we would have had to call multiple fire departments to haul water.”

Kyle McNamee said Engine 43 driver, Will Vest, did a “phenomenal job” as pump operator ensuring they had enough water for the fire. Also on the truck with Vest was Taylor Walden who pulled the first hose towards one of the adjacent houses and started wetting it down.

Once firefighters were able to cool the houses on either side, they put water on the main fires and got them under control.

Ladder

The LMVFD’s ladder truck was a big asset allowing firefighters to overhaul the rubble, said Kyle McNamee. Firefighters can climb the ladder to assess the situation and aim the nozzle that can also be controlled remotely to direct the water to hot spots.

The Middlesex County Volunteer Rescue Squad (MCVRS) responded, in case there were injuries and to monitor the health of firefighters as well as bystanders. There were no injuries.

Three fire departments responded, Lower Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department, the Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department, and the Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department from Urbanna. “It took all of them to handle the operation, it was a very intense scene,” said Kyle McNamee. “I took a real deep breath when I could mark that it was under control.”

The last firefighters left the scene around 1:30 a.m.

Kyle McNamee, 27, started volunteering with the HVFD when he was 16 and said that experience helped him become a professional firefighter with the Williamsburg City Fire Department.

ORIGINAL POST: 02/03/2025

On the night of January 30, 2025, multiple fire departments responded to a devastating structure fire on Chesapeake Boulevard in Deltaville. Fire units from the Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD), Lower Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (LMVFD), and Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) were dispatched at 9:11 p.m. after reports of a fire involving multiple structures.

According to information gleaned from the Hartfield Volunteer Fire Department’s Facebook page, the first responding unit from HVFD found two homes fully engulfed in flames, with strong winds from the bay fueling the fire and threatening nearby buildings. Captain K. McNamee assumed command at the scene, directing a defensive strategy to contain the fire and protect adjacent properties.

Despite the total loss of the initial two structures, firefighters’ swift action successfully prevented the blaze from spreading to two additional homes. Crews remained on the scene until shortly after 1:00 a.m. to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and to monitor for potential flare-ups.

Fortunately, both homes were unoccupied at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported among the firefighters.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The area’s fire departments and rescue squads depend on donations, fundraisers and volunteers. For those who may wish to make a donation or volunteer, a listing of fire departments and rescue squads in Middlesex County is provided.