Ex-Sen. Chuck Robb, wife hospitalized after house fire
McLEAN, Va. (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Chuck Robb and his wife, Lynda, were hospitalized Wednesday after a fire destroyed their northern Virginia home.
Fire officials said the injuries were not life-threatening.
Robb's family confirmed in a statement issued through Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam that their parents were taken to the hospital by ambulance and they were the only two in the home at the time of the fire.
"Our entire family is deeply grateful to the firefighters for their rapid response and the medical professionals who are taking care of them,” the Robbs' three daughters said in a joint statement. “We have what is most important to us — our mom and dad.”
Fire and rescue officials reported they responded to the home in McLean early Wednesday morning. Crews from neighboring Arlington County and Montgomery County, Maryland, also responded. Photos show flames consuming the home.
Robb served as governor in Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and two terms in the U.S. Senate, winning election in 1988 and 1994. Lynda Robb is the daughter of former President Lyndon Johnson.
Northam tweeted that he and his wife, Pam, were saddened to hear of the fire at the Robbs' home.
“Our thoughts are with Chuck and Lynda as they recover from this tragedy,” he said.
The stretch of Chain Bridge Road where the Robbs reside is a few miles outside the nation's capital and home to a number of wealthy political figures and diplomats.
Tax records show the home has a value of $5.5 million, with an adjacent parcel of land owned by the Robbs valued at $3.4 million.