MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The investigation into a recent fire at an apartment building in Morgantown is ongoing.
Residents of the three-story building on Dille Street were rescued by Morgantown firefighters in the early morning hours of July 5.
Morgantown Fire Lt. Ashley Jenkins, who led the response, said the initial dispatch did raise concerns about what they might find on the scene.
“The call came in with, I think, a fully involved structure fire with entrapment,” Jenkins said. “That adds a lot of stress to the situation, and I came out of Station 1, which is on South High Street, and when we crossed the High Street bridge we could see the fire on the hill.”
Jenkins said he did a quick review of manpower and requested a second crew. The three-story structure was all wood, with three stories of apartments with the front doors all exposed to the outside. It had 13 residential units.
“My first thought was manpower, and what do we have? So, I immediately called MECCA 911 and told them to call back both crews because we’re going to need the help.”
The call was dispatched at 4:52 a.m., and when firefighters arrived, a member of the Morgantown Police Department was on the scene. Jenkins asked the officer to contact the landlord to get an accurate count of the residents inside for rescue purposes. Knowing that process would take too long, firefighters used forced entry to evacuate the residents, three cats, and one dog in about 6 minutes. The fire was brought under control by 6:26 a.m.
“The first in Engine Company and Ladder Company was from Station 3 on Van Voorhis Road, and the first there began searching every apartment,” Jenkins said.
One person was hospitalized after suffering smoke inhalation.
Fire Chief Gary Freshour said the firebreaks constructed in the attic prevented the fire from having a clear path to spread across the structure. That was a big factor in favor of the first responders in the incident.
“Those guys did a fantastic job handling what they had,” Freshour said. “But, fortunately for them, and especially in that situation, they had a little bit of design benefit that allowed them to have a little more success.”
Jenkins compared the actions of the firefighters to the members of a football team. They practice the different tasks that are part of a total response on a regular basis so when that “play” is called, the execution is immediate.
“I think you could relate it to that, but the guys on the crew are really good, and I don’t have to call the play—they already know,” Jenkins said.