Two injured after car ignites house

By Rhonda Simmons

Published: April 14, 2008

A 65-year-old Culpeper man was listed in fair condition Monday evening after being airlifted to the University of Virginia Health System for severe burns stemming from a car fire that ignited his home.

Witnesses said Leonardo Villarreal was working on a four-door sedan — just inches away from his two-story home in Merrimac South between the Reva and White Shop areas of Culpeper — when the car exploded causing his home to go up in flames around 5:25 p.m.

Villerreal suffered second- and third-degree burns on his hands and arms, according to Co. 1 Chief Stacey Carpenter. A helicopter landed at Battlefield Ford on U.S. 29 before
taking off toward U.Va., according to witnesses.

A young firefighter also received first-degree burns on his chest, but refused medical care.

After the home ignited, neighbors said, Villerreal ran into the house several times making sure his family members escaped the treacherous flames.

“We saw the fire from the road and ran up,” said Peter Scott, who helped Villerreal remove people from the burning home. “(Villerreal) ran back into the house while it was on fire and I ran in after him.”

During the commotion, Scott said Villerreal also jumped inside the burning vehicle in a possible attempt to move it away from his home.

Scott said that’s when he noticed Villerreal’s wet hands.

“Later on, I saw that he was burned pretty badly,” said Scott.

“He was soaked in gasoline.”

Scott said fire and rescue crews arrived about 15 minutes after he did.

Scott said he made an attempt to douse the flames, but was unable to get water from the outside spigots.

“We were running around trying to grab a hose just in case we did get the water running,” he said.

After the firefighters extinguished the blaze, Scott questioned why the family had the water turned off.

“We might have been able to save this side of the house,” he said.

Fire departments from Reva, Culpeper, Salem and Brandy Station responded to the fire and had it under control within 45 minutes. Culpeper career medics also were on the scene.

Carpenter said the fire began on the side of the home and “shot across the attic.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a total loss, but it’s quite an extensive damage because it got in the attic,” he said.

It remains unclear how many people live in the home; however, neighbors say Villerreal lives there with his wife and about five children.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .