photo by: Eric Ayres

Officials from the Wheeling Fire Department work to extinguish a fire Tuesday afternoon at a house on 18th Street across from the Ziegenfelder Frozen Treat Co. in East Wheeling. No one was injured in the fire, and officials are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Fire officials are investigating the cause of a blaze that erupted inside a house across from the Ziegenfelder Frozen Treat Co. in East Wheeling Tuesday afternoon.

No one was injured in the fire, which was extinguished not long after firefighters arrived at the scene at 88-18th St.

According to Wheeling Fire Department Public Information Officer Philip Stahl, witnesses observed flames shooting from the lower level of the structure when they called to report the incident.

“We got multiple calls around 1:50 p.m. about smoke coming from this house here on 18th Street,” Stahl said. “There were flames coming out of the first floor window, so it is believed that the fire may have started in the front room of the house.”

Fire officials performed a check of all rooms in the interior of the house and confirmed that no one was in the structure.

“There was nobody inside at the time of the fire,” Stahl said. “Nobody was injured either.”

It was unclear Tuesday afternoon whether or not the home was a vacant structure or if occupants were simply not there when the fire broke out.

“We’re not sure if it was occupied at the time or not – we’re still trying to figure that out,” Stahl said. “Investigators are on scene doing their work.”

Units from the Wheeling Fire Department responded with three fire engines, a ladder truck and a rescue vehicle, while officers with the Wheeling Police Department and Ohio County Sheriff’s Office also assisted at the scene. Officers helped with traffic control around the scene while firefighters put out the blaze.

“We were able to get the fire out very quickly and contain it to that front room,” Stahl said.

Most of the fire damage was contained to the lower level of the house, although smoke rose through the structure and was billowing through the upper floor windows after firefighters entered the house and opened them.

“As it stands, everything is still under investigation,” Stahl said.