The Shadow
Former Virginia Governor and Virginia U.S. Senator Charles “Chuck” S. Robb and his wife Lynda Bird Johnson Robb suffered injuries during the fire that ravaged their home on Dec. 21.
Lynda Bird, 77, suffered second-degree burns on one arm, and Chuck, 82, was hospitalized for smoke inhalation but has been released. Their injuries were not life-threatening, but Lynda Bird remained hospitalized following Chuck’s release.
The cause of the fire that broke out on the first floor and spread to the roof of the couple’s mansion on the 600 Block of Chain Bridge Road where the Robbs have resided for more than four decades has yet to be determined. The couple was alone at home when the smoke detector alerted them to the fire.
Lynda Bird, the eldest daughter of former President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson, campaigned for Chuck in Covington during 1982, the year he was elected as Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. After leaving office in 1986, Chuck ran successfully for the U.S. Senate in 1989 and served till 2001.
The home was valued at $3.4 million according to Fairfax County’s tax records, and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded to the fire. Firefighting units from Arlington and Montgomery counties assisted in fighting the blaze that resulted in more than $1 million in damages.
The fire was viewed by motorists on the opposite side of the Potomac River and from neighboring communities. The Robbs were left homeless just four days before Christmas, but their three grown daughters, Lucinda, Jennifer and Catherine, were there to console them, thankful that both escaped the fire alive.
