Two Women Rescued from Parkersburg House Fire

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03/03/2013 – At 8:08 a.m., the Wood County 911 Center dispatched the Parkersburg Fire Department to a working house fire at 1004 Tygart St (off Pike St). The caller told dispatchers that she and her elderly mother were still in the home.

Fire crews from the Camden Ave. station arrived a couple minutes later to find heavy smoke and flames shooting from the single story home.

“The first arriving Engine 6 personnel could see the occupants through the locked front door,” said Fire Captain Tim Flinn. “They forced entry and carried each female out of the smoke filled structure.”

Both women had physical ailments and were not able to walk unassisted. One woman used crutches and the other used a walker, said Flinn.

The two women were treated on the scene by St Joseph’s Ambulance. Family members and neighbors arrived  shortly after the fire and assisted the two ladies.

Firefighters were also able to rescue a pet cat from the home. It was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

The home was owned and occupied by Virginia Peters, 89, and her daughter Dolores Peters, 65.

Most of the fire was contained to the rear kitchen area, but the home sustained smoke and heat damage throughout. Damages are estimated at $30,000. The home had two working smoke detectors.

“The mother told our fire investigators that she saw sparks around the coffee pot and a roll of papers towels on fire,” said Fire Chief Eric Taylor. “Although the exact cause is still undetermined, it is believed to be an unknown electrical malfunction in the kitchen area.”