KINGWOOD, W.Va. — A man awoken by the fire escaped a burning garage on Tunnelton Street in Kingwood early Sunday morning.
Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD) Chief Perry Barlow said four units responded to the 3 a.m. blaze because of, “all the exposures.” The garage, owned by Nelson Corbin, are near Corbin’s home and other homes on Tunnelton Street.
Corbin said his grandson, Josh Corbin, was asleep on the second floor of the garage when something woke him.
“He was so lucky,” Nelson Corbin said. “When he opened that door, it blew him back.”
Josh escaped the second floor through outside stairs. “I can replace anything else,” his grandfather said.
Barlow was able to see the fire from the fire department door on Brown Avenue as he and other firefighters went in to man the trucks.
“I commend the fire department,” Nelson Corbin said. “It’s a good thing they got there when they did.”
He lost two cars in the garage — a Jeep Patriot and a 1999 Mustang Cobra—his lawn equipment and other items. The fire also broke five windows in his house on the garage side and melted the vinyl siding.
Firefighters had the fire under control in about 20 minutes but were out about 2 and a half hours on the call, Barlow said.
“Nobody got hurt. That’s a good thing,” Barlow said.
The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Kathy Plum/The Dominion Post