Fire Destroys Portion Of James City County Timeshare Resort

A fire completely destroyed a 14-unit building of a timeshare resort complex early Sunday.

The building was part of the 256-acre Powhatan Plantation, a guarded timeshare resort close to Williamsburg.

Alexis Herr and her husband were in the building next door to the fire. They were awoken by the blaze. Herr said they grabbed whatever they could and evacuated.

"I was pretty scared; I thought it was a thunder storm. We grabbed a couple of things and bolted," said Herr.

It took 50 firefighters about two hours to extinguish the blaze, which was reported just after 3:30 a.m., James City County Fire Chief Buster Canaday said.

Firefighters say ten had to be rescued from second-story timeshare balconies by ladder, and two people jumped from their balconies.

Some residents suffered minor injuries, but no one was taken to the hospital.

Fire also damaged eight cars parked near the building.

Harry Myrin, the timeshare resort's interim manager, said the resort provided displaced guests with other places to stay and was working to provide transportation home for those whose vehicles were destroyed.

"We're blessed that everyone got out," Myrin said.

Investigators are working to discover the cause of the fire.