Members of the Williamson Fire Department and Chattaroy Volunteer Fire Department battled flames at the home of Josh Ferrell.
WILLIAMSON, W.Va. – The Williamson Fire Department (WFD) received a call around 10:20 p.m. Saturday night of a structure fire on Little Oak Street, which is located hillside West Fourth Avenue.
Williamson Fire Chief Joey Carey was the first to arrive on scene, upon arrival Carey encountered heavy fire venting through the roof at the back of the structure.
The fire was so intense at that point the siding from the residence next door was beginning to melt.
Carey immediately went to the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Lawson who lived next door to wake them and help get them out the residence as a precautionary measure.
“The entire second floor was fully involved, which caused a roof collapse, which in turned posed a difficult job to extinguish,” said Chief Carey.
The residence is owned by Williamson City attorney Josh Ferrell. Ferrell also serves as the attorney for the City of Williamson.
Ferrell was not home at the time of the fire.
WFD responded to the scene with three trucks and 10 men, they were assisted by five firefighters and a tanker truck from Chattaroy Volunteer Fire Department. Patrolman Josh Tincher of the Williamson Police Department was also on the scene.
The department remained on scene throughout the night to bring the fire under control.
The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time, however, no foul play is suspected and there was no evidence at any of the doors or windows to indict a break-in.
The WFD returned to the scene on Sunday due to a rekindle of the dwelling, which is not uncommon when there is a roof collapse.
The fire was believed to have started in the rear of the home, possibly in an upstairs bedroom.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawson did not suffer any injuries during the evacuation and their home received only minor damage.
Mr. Ferrell’s house was listed as a total loss.
Kendra Mahon is a reporter for the Williamson Daily News. She can be be reached at 304-235-4242 ext 2278 or [email protected]