Island Blaze Stopped Short
By HEATHER ZIEGLER Assistant City EditorArticle Photos
Quick action and an extra boost of manpower allowed Wheeling firefighters to quickly extinguish a fire at 110-112 S. Wabash St. on Wheeling Island just after 8 a.m. today.
Wheeling firefighters raced to the scene, their third fire in two days, and brought the blaze under control within minutes of their arrival. Fire crews first on the scene reported smoke and flames shooting from the second floor window of the southern portion of the duplex home. No one was home at the time of the fire, according to fire officials.
Assistant Fire Chief Mark Knuth said the fire call came in just as the firefighters were changing shifts at 8 a.m. As a result, there were twice as many firefighters available to respond to the blaze.
"They knocked the fire down pretty quick. They did have heavy smoke and fire coming out of that second floor front window," Knuth said. "The fire was starting onto the roof but they got that out. There was no exposure to the other buildings."
While significant damage occurred in the bedroom, firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading into other portions of the structure. The building owner's name was not available this morning.
Firefighters used chainsaws to ventilate the roof area and then dug out the burning portions of the roof. Neighbors trickled out onto the street as the fire trucks began to arrive.
Engines 2 and 5, Ladder 1, Rescue 1, Squad 1 and Fire Chief Larry Helms, and Assistant Chief Ed Geisel responded in addition to Assistant Chief Knuth.
Fire Investigator Steve Rogers was called to the scene to look into the cause of the early morning blaze.
Rogers has been kept busy along with the rest of the department in the past two days.
A devastating blaze consumed two structures in the 4600 block of Eoff St. in South Wheeling late Wednesday night. The fire is believed to have originated in an empty structure that was being dismantled and then spread next door to an occupied home. No residents were injured but one city firefighter sustained injury when he fell through the floor that collapsed in one of the buildings. He was treated and released.
Also on Wednesday night, firefighters knocked down a fire in a residence at 1210 Main St.
The cause of each blaze remains under investigation.
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GETACLUE
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01-03-09 10:26 AM
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QUESTION...... Why did you wait until the crime was over???? Why didn't you call when it was in progress??? Why didn't you call the property owner and tell him his property is being broken into??? Why are you calling the health dept and building dept and not the property owner to get the property cleaned up??? Who is the property owner???
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EllisWyatt
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01-03-09 10:03 AM
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joesr66 You expected the Police department to A: respond to the community's concerns? and B: Investigate something that requires filling out paperwork? Think about this: if the police refuse to investigate, the B&E cannot be considered an official crime. Therefore, the crime statistics look better. This is common practice in Wheeling, hence the title "Safest little city in America". Sure it is, when many crimes are not "officially" reported.
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GETACLUE
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01-03-09 7:10 AM
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Maybe they couldn't understand you? Do you speak like you write?
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joesr66
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01-03-09 6:23 AM
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There are a lot of homes in Wheeling that no one occupy and are empty but can you tell me why there ths first house to catch on fire when no one lives there.I live next door to one and been after the Health Department to do something for 3 years and no results whats so ever, The Building Department has the same results notheing is being done. I seen a man tear off the plywood off the door and went in and hauled something out of it.I called the police and gave them the name of the person who done it. The desk Segarent asked if I knew who owne the property and I said YES.His respond was call him and get him to swear a warrent out and we will do something. I told him it was a breaking and entering and thats a crime. Results nothing was done and believe you me I will sue these people who set by if this house catch on fire for any reason.I asked for help from the City and none was ever given.Real sad bunch of people I would say.
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