Tankers, Brush Trucks Requested for Nearly 20-Acre Fire on Riddles Bridge Road

A brush fire that stretched to nearly 20 acres burned along the Riddles Bridge Road area, prompting requests for tankers and brush trucks and drawing more than two dozen first responders to the scene. Dispatch logs and local coverage indicate the blaze occurred at or near 4357 Riddles Bridge Road and along Bells Road, just off Riddles Bridge Road.

Local television coverage reported crews arrived "around 2:30" and that "More than two dozen first responders arrived on the scene along Bells Road, just off of Riddles Bridge Road, around 2:30." Dispatch records included in a separate incident summary state in part, "Engine 621 arrived to find a large brush pile fully involved, plus several smaller spot fir", the final word in that excerpt is truncated in the provided logs.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours. According to the local coverage, "Three hours later, the fire was contained but not quite under control." The same account put the fire's footprint at nearly 20 acres, using the headline "Crews contain 20-acre brush fire in Goochland" and describing crews as "busy Thursday afternoon battling a brush fire that stretched to nearly 20 acres."

Officials and reporters noted the flames began away from homes. The television report said, "Thankfully, it started in the middle of a thicket and did not threaten any buildings." The supplied material includes no explicit reports of injuries or structural damage.

The origin of the blaze remains uncertain. The local account states plainly, "The cause of the fire is unknown." The supplied dispatch excerpt and incident notes do not include a confirmed cause or attribution of an ongoing investigation to the fire marshal for this particular incident.

Available records contain a date discrepancy that requires verification. One incident summary provided to this newsroom states, "Emergency responders fought a brush fire on the evening of February 17, 2026 at or near 4357 Riddles Bridge Road in Goochland County." The on-scene broadcast copy carries a 2022 copyright line and describes the event as occurring on a "Thursday afternoon," without a calendar date. At this time the relationship between the February 17, 2026 notation and the 2022 broadcast account has not been reconciled.

Key operational details remain to be confirmed by authorities: which departments staffed Engine 621, which agency requested tankers and brush trucks and when, and the official acreage and containment timeline. Goochland County Fire & EMS, the local fire marshal, and volunteer fire departments involved can clarify unit identities, resource requests, and final incident reports. This newsroom will seek those incident logs and official statements to reconcile the date and location details and to confirm whether any buildings, people, or vehicles sustained damage.