House fire – 1264 31st St

12/23/2012 – Around 9:15 p.m. Saturday evening, Parkersburg firefighters were dispatched to a house fire at 1264 31st St. The resident noticed smoke in the residence and, upon further investigation, found “three feet tall” flames in the attic.

The first due engine company arrived a couple minutes later from Fire Station 4, on West Virginia Ave and reported heavy smoke coming from the gables. The fire was brought under control within 10 minutes.

The home is owned and occupied by Carl Sprout. He reported to fire investigators that earlier in the evening they noticed a light smoky haze in the home, but could not determine a source. The were supposed to attend a Christmas party, however, they did not feel comfortable leaving the home. Shortly thereafter, they noticed heavier smoke in the foyer and a crackling sound coming from the attic. Mr Sprout stated that the electrical break tripped, sometime during the course of those events.

“They were very fortunate that they did not leave for the party. Had the fire been given a little bit longer, they would have lost the home and all of their possessions,” Fire chief Eric Taylor.

“Due to the cautiousness of the homeowner and quick notification of the fire department, we believe there was very minor damage to the contents and only limited damage to the structure,” adds Taylor

There was a little smoke in the home, but structural damage was limited to the foyer ceiling and the attic space. Fire investigators believe the cause to be an electrical short in the attic and estimate damages to be $10-15k.

No injuries were reported and fire crews cleared around 10:30 p.m.