The Troutville Fire Training Center was severely damaged in a fire Friday morning.
The Troutville Fire Department said the blaze broke out around 5:15 a.m. at 50 Sunset Avenue, directly adjacent to the fire department. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Troutville crews arrived to find smoke and flames billowing from the building and requested additional units from across the region, including Blue Ridge, Fincastle, Botetourt County and Roanoke County.
The building has been used by Troutville and agencies throughout Botetourt and Southwestern Virginia for fire and emergency services training, as well as other activities. It serves as the primary training location for Botetourt County and has been actively hosting the county’s 2025 Volunteer Firefighter Academy.
“This fire comes as a shock to us all and the impacts of this significant loss will take time to recover from, but we will find ways to better our resources through this loss to our department and region,” said Troutville Volunteer Fire Chief Zach Beckner.
The incident remains ongoing as firefighters continue to extinguish hot spots and begin investigating the cause. A team of regional fire investigators from Roanoke City and the City of Salem is assisting with the investigation.
The cause remains unknown at this time.