Fire destroys two homes
Two county homes were destroyed in separate fires last week.
A Berkeley Springs home located at 149 Green Gate Road was destroyed by fire last Thursday morning, January 6. The home which was owned by Victor Dill was a total loss.
Morgan County 911 received several calls around 10:28 a.m. that morning from residents who reported seeing a large column of smoke in the distance from their locations, said Dave Michael, Morgan County Emergency Services Director.
Michael said incident commander Assistant Chief James Steiner of the Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company reported that the first fire engine crew that arrived at the blaze found the house on the ground.
Two other structures were endangered by the heat of the fire as well as a dump truck and nearby woods. Firefighters prioritized protecting the buildings and keeping the fire from spreading into the woods, Michael said. No injuries were reported.
Units from Berkeley Springs, Great Cacapon, South Morgan, Hancock, Orleans and Reynolds Store Volunteer Fire Companies responded to the fire.
Reynolds Store filled in coverage for the Berkeley Springs fire station. Paw Paw Volunteer Fire Company filled in coverage at the Great Cacapon fire station.
Morgan County Rescue Service, Hancock Rescue Service and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department also responded.
Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company officials were unavailable for further information about the house fire.
Gamble Road fire
On Friday afternoon, January 7, fire destroyed an abandoned house at 995 Gamble Road, which is located in Valley High Timber Farms outside of Great Cacapon off Detour Road. The home was considered a total loss.
The fire call came in around 1:05 p.m. on Friday, Great Cacapon Volunteer Fire Company Captain Matt Grimley said. When units arrived on the scene, they found the double-wide structure fully involved. The fire started into the woods, but they were able to stop it quickly from spreading, he said.
The fire is under investigation. Assistant State Fire Marshal Patrick Barker was at the scene and was unable to determine the origin of the fire or its cause, Grimley said.
He believed that a neighbor called in the fire. Grimley said it was an old house that had been abandoned for some time. He had no estimate of the loss.
Units from Great Cacapon, Berkeley Springs, Paw Paw, South Morgan, Hancock and Needmore Volunteer Fire Companies, the Morgan County Rescue Service and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s office responded to the fire. There were no injuries, Grimley said.
Fox Hollow fire
A Fox Hollow fire that occurred last Friday morning was dispatched as a possible structure fire, but it turned out to be a controlled burn, said Grimley.
A Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company member confirmed that the fire was a controlled burn. Berkeley Springs fire department officials were unavailable for additional information.
