Officials examine the cause of the East Wheeling House Fire | News, sports, jobs

Photo by: Eric Ayres

Officials of the Wheeling Fire Department work a fire in a house in 18th Street on Tuesday afternoon compared to the Ziegenfeld Frozen Treat Co. in East Wheeling. Nobody was injured in the fire and the officials examine the cause of the fire.

Firefighters examine the cause of a fire that broke out in a house in a house opposite the Ziegenfeld Frozen delicacies in East Wheeling on Tuesday afternoon.

Nobody was injured in the fire, which was not long after the firefighters arrived in 88-18. St. was deleted

According to Philip Stahl, the public information officer of Wheeling Fire Department, witnesses observed flame shots from the lower level of the structure as they called to report the incident.

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

Firefighters carried out a review of all rooms inside the house and confirmed that nobody was in the structure.

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

It was unclear on Tuesday afternoon whether the house was a free structure or whether the residents were simply not there when the fire broke out.

“We are not sure whether it was occupied at the time or not – we are still trying to find out,” said Stahl. “The investigators are on site and do their work.”

Units of the Wheeling Fire Department reacted with three fire engines, a driver's car and an ambulance, while officials from the Wheeling Police Department and the Sheriff office of Ohio County also assisted at the crime scene. The officials helped to control traffic in the scene, while firefighters deleted the fire.

“We could get the fire out very quickly and contain it in this front room,” said Stahl.

Most of the fire damage was contained to the lower level of the house, although smoke rose through the structure and rose through the windows on the upper floor after entering the house and opened it.

“It looks like everything is still being examined,” said Stahl.