In the afternoon sun along the Rivanna River Trail, Joshua Ballou paced the edges of the burnt-black patch of public land that used to be his home.
The Charlottesville Fire Department responded to the blaze that destroyed Ballou’s shelter late on May 9, at the encampment adjacent to the trail. The fire burned just northeast of the overpass, where the 250 Bypass crosses the Rivanna River heading into Pantops.
Records from CFD indicate that 911 received reports of the fire at 10:44pm, with units arriving by 10:51pm; the incident was listed as cleared at 12:38am…