The Times West Virginian

Local News

July 17, 2008

PREVIEW — Fire at vacant home on Chicago Street deemed suspicious

By Paul Fallon

FAIRMONT — A Thursday morning house fire on Chicago Street was called suspicious by Fairmont Fire Chief Roger Wilson.

The fire tore through the vacant home at about 10 a.m., Wilson said. Firefighters arrived on the scene and quickly brought the blaze under control, he added.

“We had the fire under control in about 15 minutes,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the fire was suspicious in nature because it was a vacant structure. He also pointed out that the house was not hooked up to utilities such as electricity and gas. The building had been vacant for approximately one year, Wilson said.

“Fires don’t start themselves,” he said.

Mackey Ayersman, assistant West Virginia fire marshal, has been called in to investigate the incident, Wilson said. This is not the first time Fairmont firefighters have responded to a suspicious fire at a vacant structure in the city. Firefighters recently battled a blaze on Fairmont’s east side that was later deemed to be arson.

See Friday’s issue of the Times West Virginian for the full story.

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