The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

November 15, 2009

Fire officials: Blazes at same Raleigh County house appear suspicious

By Amelia A. Pridemore

Raleigh County firefighters battled two fires, at the same house and just less than 12 hours apart, which they are calling suspicious.

At 9:45 p.m. Saturday, a fire was reported at a two-story house on Greystone Drive in Beaver, said Beaver Volunteer Fire Assistant Chief Phillip Utt. The house’s lower floor is underground, and the fire was located there. Utt said firefighters were returning from a training session and had several firefighters available. They quickly extinguished the fire.

The lower floor sustained heavy fire damage, but firefighters kept the fire contained to that floor, Utt said. Smoke did reach the upper floor, but the house was not a total loss.

A second fire at the same house was reported at 9:08 a.m. Sunday, Utt said. This fire was also on the lower floor but at a different location. A few items that did not burn before burned then. This time, fire did burn through the ceiling and created floor holes in two upstairs closets. Otherwise, the fire was contained to the lower floor. Heavy amounts of smoke reached the upstairs.

The house’s residents were not at home when either fire began, Utt said. No injuries were reported. Firefighters also rescued a dog kept in a pen downstairs. Firefighters from the Ghent and Mabscott VFDs assisted.

Utt said the fires appear suspicious. Each fire is believed to have its own point of origin. The first apparently started against a wall and on or around a bed. The second fire’s origin was about 15 feet away from the first’s, and it started near a sofa.

The residents did tell authorities the house was possibly broken into Saturday, Utt said. There were also reported threats made against people at the house. The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department is investigating this.

Utt said the State Fire Marshal’s Office has been contacted for an investigation.

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com

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