By William Hayden DIetz
A large fire engulfed a historic downtown Cottage Stillroom business in a Candle Factory on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.
The fire was located on Cabell Street, near Rivermont, where the building that is host to a candle making business shot out grey plumes of smoke into the air.
One person suffered burns to their arm, but according to fire officials the burns are not life threatening.
Flames decimated the candle shop, however the fire department was able to extinguish most of the active flames quickly.
Individuals who watched the fire burn from its outset stated that a neighboring apartment building was quickly and effectively evacuated by officials, which is one of the reasons more injuries did not occur.
The power company from the region, Appalachian Power, stated that over 1,000 people in the region were affected by power outages as a result of the fire.
Power was restored by 9 p.m., a few hours after the fire died down.
The Lynchburg Department of Emergency services shut down Fifth St., on the route to Amherst, so crews could better combat the fire.
Due to the large quantity of water consumed in efforts to combat the fire, local tap water may be discolored. However, Lynchburg City officials have stated this water is not harmful to consume.
The roads were clogged by people coming to view the fire, so the city asked individuals to avoid the area to prevent large-scale traffic issues.
There was a pet cat in the building, but it survived unscathed.
This fire happened less than five miles away from the University.
If you would like to support the business, they can be contacted here.