Courtesy of Triadelphia VFD Facebook page

TRIADELPHIA — A resident of Gashell Run Road suffered serious burn injuries and two local firefighters were also transported to local hospitals after a structure fire destroyed a home Monday night.

Several local fire departments responded to the scene with others on standby after officials first received the call about the blaze at around 6:53 p.m. Monday.

Lou Vargo, director of Ohio County Emergency Homeland Security and Management Agency, said this was a response situation that was deemed an “all-hands fire.” Crews from the Ohio County EMA, Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, West Virginia State Patrol and West Liberty, Bethany, Valley Grove, Triadelphia, West Alexander fire departments and emergency medical services were among the many local agencies that responded to the blaze.

“The back of the house was fully involved when the first companies got there,” Vargo said. “It was a single-dwelling house, and the building is a total loss. They are still there working on hot spots.”

Vargo said emergency crews attempted to transport the male burn victim to Pittsburgh by air, indicating that a landing zone for a helicopter was being established at a location up the road from the site of the structure fire, but the foggy and drizzling weather conditions made it impossible for an aircraft to land safely.

“We tried to fly the person out and take them to the burn center, but the weather was just too bad,” he said.

The burn victim was taken by ambulance to WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital.

Two firefighters – one from West Liberty and one from Valley Grove — suffered injuries while working the scene and were transported to local hospitals, as well, Vargo said. One firefighter fell through a deck up to his waist and suffered a knee injury, while the other suffered a medical emergency while fighting the fire.

Vargo explained that WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital is currently “on diversion” in light of a heavy number of patient intakes. He noted that this has been ongoing for a while and is not uncommon. However, since the hospital is “on diversion,” only trauma patients and those suffering from life-threatening medical emergencies such as heart attacks are accepted at the emergency room.

All other patients are diverted to other area hospitals. In light of this situation, one firefighter was taken to WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, and the other was transported to WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.