PARKERSBURG - A fire which broke out in a Latrobe Street house early Sunday is being ruled suspicious by Parkersburg fire officials.
At around 1:40 a.m. Sunday, the Parkersburg Fire Department was called out to 1407 Latrobe St. in response to a structure fire.
"The structure was well involved when crews arrived," said Captain Tim Flinn, chief fire inspector with the Parkersburg Fire Department.
The house was occupied by Ivan Willis and his family, a wife and three children. The children were spending the night at the grandparents' home. Willis, who rents the home, was the only one at home at the time of the fire. He was able to get out safely.
Flinn said the local chapter of the American Red Cross responded and is helping the family with some basic needs and making sure they had somewhere to go.
The fire was mostly confined to the front of the two-and-a-half-story house.
"The front porch was fully involved," Flinn said.
Crews had to knock down the front porch to gain entry into the house. Firefighters went up a stairwell and did an internal attack on the fire. The fire was under control within 20 minutes.
"Every ounce of manpower was used on this fire," Flinn said. "Everyone was used efficiently."
Crews were mopping up hot spots for over an hour and personnel remained on scene until 7 a.m. Sunday.
The fire department responded with 11 firefighters, a shift commander and an ambulance crew from Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital and Parkersburg Police were on the scene. The fire department responded with one aerial truck, a rescue vehicle, three pumpers and a shift commander's vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
"The firefighters did a good job in making sure the fire did not spread to an adjacent structure," Flinn said.
Investigators were still trying to track down the home's owner on Sunday. The fire caused $50,000 damage.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated. It is believed to have started towards the front of the house. Evidence was collected and is being tested. The use of accelerants has not been ruled out yet, Flinn said.
Flinn said the possibility of a connection with other recent fires in Parkersburg is not being ruled out at this time.
Comments:
BY: futbol067 // 04-19-10 // 1:44 AM
People of Parkersburg ! Take your city back if you see suspicious behavior call the police! If you see some one starting a fire do what ever , i am sick of the good for nothing's in this town !!!!
BY: mcquakkers // 04-19-10 // 3:54 AM
If this is connected to all the recent string of fires. This lil firebug needs to be caught and soon before someone get's killed! And like the one before me said "If you see something suspicious call the police." This has gone out of control and it's got to stop!
BY: freerange // 04-19-10 // 12:17 PM
Defining suspicious around here.... Man...are they gonna get ALOT of calls.
BY: gooddawg // 04-19-10 // 3:09 PM
wonder if the graffiti sprayed on walls in and about the city has anything to to with it ?? or it could just be some nut .
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