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Wheeling Firefighters Battle Terrain, Icy Conditions and Flames

Photo by Scott McCloskey Wheeling firefighters work at the scene of a two-alarm blaze that destroyed a house in the 2200 block of Highland Avenue Extension early Tuesday. The hilly, wooded terrain made it difficult for fire crews to reach the scene.

A house in the 2200 block of Highland Avenue Extension was destroyed in a two-alarm fire early Tuesday morning. No one was hurt in the fire.

Several crews from the Wheeling Fire Department arrived at the scene at approximately 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters found the structure fully involved in fire and were told that residents of the house had been evacuated. A short time later, firefighters said flames were shooting through the roof of the building.

Fire trucks had difficulty getting to the scene because of the hilly terrain. Helms said crews had trouble getting to the house because of icy conditions and sharp turns on the road.

“It just took us a while to get water on it because of the location,” Wheeling Fire Chief Larry Helms said. He added that crews had to stretch fire lines about 1,500 feet up a steep embankment.

The house was situated on a wooded hillside above North 23rd Street and Warwood Avenue (W.Va. 2). For a time, W.Va. 2 was closed to allow crews to attach hose lines to fire hydrants in order to get water to the blaze.

Firefighters also sprayed water on the exposed side of an adjacent house as a precautionary measure. Two fuel tanks located at the northwest corner of the burning house were reported to be smoking, but fire crews were able to prevent the tanks from erupting. By 9:30 a.m., fire crews were working to extinguish hot spots in the burned-out house.

Two units from the West Liberty Volunteer Fire Department assisted Wheeling firefighters at the scene. Crews remained on the scene for several hours to put out hot spots and do extensive cleanup. The last engine company departed the scene at about 12:45 p.m.

Philip Stahl, city public information officer, said, “The state fire marshal’s office will most likely investigate the cause of the fire.”

The initial fire call came from a neighbor.

Stahl said the house is situated outside of city limits. He said it was believed that the house was located within the Clearview Volunteer Fire Department’s response district.

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