Two houses burn in Norfolk

Norfolk firefighters responded to two house fires in the Colonial Place neighborhood early Thursday morning. 

The fire started a little after 3:30 a.m. in a home on the 500 block of Maryland Avenue, and spread to a neighboring home. A third home also suffered heat damage, police say.

The man who lives in the first house tells NewsChannel 3 he had just gone to bed when he smelled smoke.  He didn’t even have time to grab his clothes or his phone.  A neighbor called 911.

Firefighters say smoke and flames were shooting from one house when they arrived.  While flames had started the second house on fire, firefighters quickly got the fire under control, and stopped any more houses from catching fire.

Officials say one firefighter has been hospitalized for heat exhaustion. 

Several firefighters are still on scene, searching for hot spots.

NewsChannel 3 is on the scene.  Watch NewsChannel 3 This Morning, or our live stream here on wtkr.com for breaking details throughout the morning.