Sheila R. Barner couldn't sleep, so she was watching television at about 4 a.m. yesterday when she smelled smoke.

The smoke was coming from above the second-floor ceiling of the row house she shares in the Fan District with Patricia J. McGarry. Both women are nurses at Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital.

By the time Richmond firefighters arrived about 15 minutes later, Barner had alerted their neighbors in the row of five adjoining houses facing Retreat Hospital in the 100 block of North Mulberry Street.

"We're all lucky she doesn't sleep well," said McGarry, holding her poodle, Pete, as she stood outside of her damaged home.

No one was injured in the two-alarm fire, which caused extensive damage in the second floor of McGarry and Barner's house and an adjoining home.

Fire Capt. Ross Anderson said the firewalls that separate the row houses, built in 1914-15, worked well, but the fire apparently jumped between porch roofs at the rear of the buildings.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Anderson commended Barner and McGarry for alerting their neighbors quickly.

"Everyone was out," he said. "They did a wonderful job."
Contact Michael Martz at (804) 649-6964 or mmartz@timesdispatch.com.