12/19/2007 - Structure Fire - Airport Blvd

Fire damages apartment building

No one hurt; tenants temporarily homeless

The Dominion Post
   An Airport Boulevard apartment building caught fire Wednesday morning.
   None of the residents of the four apartments was home at the time the fire broke out, just after 8 a.m., but they are temporarily homeless. Brookhaven Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Adam Lipscomb said the apartments are uninhabitable at the moment.
   Allegheny Power employees passing by saw smoke and called 911.
   The house, converted into apartments, is owned by Christy and Bridgette Campbell.
   Lipscomb said the fire started in the walls that separate the apartments. Flames were put out before they could spread. The apartments, however, sustained heavy smoke and heat damage.
   The state fire marshal’s office was called to investigate.
   Christy Campbell said she was trying to reach all of the tenants Wednesday at the fire scene as firefighters worked on hot spots and smoke ventilation. One tenant, she said, is in the military and is only reachable by mail.
   She said she has insurance and is thankful no one was hurt.
   Campbell said the military member and at least one college student aren’t living in their apartments at the moment. The American Red Cross had not been contacted to assist as of Wednesday evening.

12/08/2007 - Star City VFD Annual Christmas Parade & Banquet

On 12/08/2007, The Star City VFD held its annual Christmas Parade.  Merv Davis Jr. was our 2007 parade Marshal.  Merv is our oldest living member.  He has been a member of our organization since 1940.  The parade route ran from Junior Avenue until Congress Avenue.  Some of the organizations involved were; Star City PD, Mon. Co. Sheriff's Dept, Brookhaven VFD, Westover VFD, Granville VFD, Cool Springs VFD, Phillipi VFD, Mountaineer Transport, Mountaineer Area Search and Rescue.  Santa Clause was also a star of the parade.  The Star City VFD would like to thank all those who attended.

Later on we held our 2007 Christmas Banquet and awards dinner.  Congratulations to Levi Filsinger (Firefighter of the Year) and Jason Rice (Officer of the Year)!!.

12/07/2007 – Sprinkler Activation – Suncrest Village

On 12/7/2007 at approx 1835 hours, Companies 20, 17, and 23 were alerted for a fire alarm at building 2600 of Suncrest Village.  Engine 203 and 201 responded.  Mecca-911 advised that he fire alarm as showing sprinkler activation.  Engine 203 arrived on scene and 20-1 initiated command.  20-1 advised that there was positive water flow and continued all units for salvage.  Crews were able to turn the water off and cleaned up the water in the hallway.  Crews became available at 1934.

12/07/2007 – Motor Vehicle Accident – Riddle Drive

On 12/07/2007 at approx 0805 hours, Company 20 was alerted to assist Sheriff’s Dept with a motor vehicle accident.  Mecca-911 advises that a vehicle had run off the road into a residence and had struck the gas meter.  Engine 201 responded.  20-6 arrived on scene to find the vehicle had hit the residence’s gas meter breaking from the home and the supply.  Dominion Hope Gas Company was already on scene.  They advised that due to the emergency shut off valves in place, no gas was leaking at the time.  He advised that the gas shut off after the vehicle broke the line from the pressure change.  201 remain on scene to assist with traffic while the Tow Company removed the vehicle.  There were no injuries.  The accident was appeared to have been cause by ice in the roadway

12/07/2007 – Motor Vehicle Accident – Poplar Drive

On 12/07/2007 at approx 0053 hours, Company 20 was dispatched to 120 Poplar drive for a vehicle overturned in the roadway.  Initial reports were of a pickup truck on its top with one entrapped.  EMS arrived on scene and confirmed entrapment.  EMS later advises that the driver extricated himself prior to our arrival and Rescue 69 arrival.  Unit 202 and Engine 203 responded.  Units remained on scene to assist PD with traffic and roadway cleanup.  Units cleared at 0218.

12/05/2007 – Vehicle Fire – Chestnut Ridge Road

On 12/05/2007 at approx 1806 hours, Company 20 was alerted for a vehicle fire on Chestnut Ridge Road.  Engine 201 responded.  Engine 201 arrived on scene to find one plow truck with the passenger compartment fully involved. 20 took the command and advised Mecca-911 that this was in the City of Morgantown and in Morgantown Fire Department Company 3’s first due.  MFD Company 3 was dispatched while Engine 201 began fire suppression.  The fire was called under control at 1820.  Engine 3 arrived on scene and assisted Company 20 with clean up.  Units cleared at 1843 hours.     

11/09/2007 - Hazmat Spill result of an MVA - Interstate 68

Spill wreaks havoc

Traffic is jammed in 2 counties

BY ERIC BOWEN The Dominion Post

 
   A fatal accident and chemical spill shut down Interstate 68 for more than 11 hours Friday, officials said.
   The resulting traffic problems spread across the surrounding area, with traffic backups and delays, and two more accidents on detour routes in Preston County.
   A tractor-trailer driven by Paul Staley, 40, of New Martinsville, overturned on Interstate 68 early Friday. Staley was killed, and the tanker truck spilled toluene diisocyanate, a toxic chemical used to manufacture polymer plastics and foams.
   I-68 was closed between the Cheat Lake/Fairchance Road exit (Exit 10) and Coopers Rock exit (Exit 15) for about 11 hours after the accident, said Mike Wolfe, public information officer for the Monongalia County Office of Emergency Management.
   Both westbound lanes and one eastbound lane were reopened by about 5 p.m.
   Officials also shut down Monongalia County 857 until after 11 a.m., Wolfe said.
   Because both major routes in Cheat Lake were closed, Wolfe said that emergency officials did not have a detour route set up for drivers. People driving on I-68 were simply told to turn around, and Wolfe said he didn’t know where people went after that.
   Police said that traffic was backed up along I-68 to the Pierpont Road exit (Exit 7) at times. But some observers noted the traffic stretched as far as the Sabraton exit (Exit 4) in the eastbound lanes Friday.
   In Preston County, state police detoured traffic along W.Va. 26 through Kingwood, Trooper I. Harmon said. Cars then went down W.Va. 7 into Morgantown.
   All of the excess traffic caused at least two accidents that further slowed traffic, Harmon said.
   “It was pretty thick ... like five to six times what it normally is,” Harmon said. “It was a steady rollingtype traffic.”
   One motorist reported his typical 20-minute commute from the Bruceton area to Morgantown took 90 minutes Friday morning.
   Another motorist who commutes from Morgantown to Nemacolin Resort, in Farmington, Pa., through Bruceton Mills had her typical 45-minute commute take two hours because of backups and detours.
   She was one of many drivers who ended up at the BFS on Fairchance Road.
   BFS Cashier Dream Ritenour said she started work at about 6 a.m. and had a steady stream of people coming in to ask for directions around the accident.
   Ritenour said she sent them either to Uniontown or Kingwood to get back on the freeway.
   “Everybody’s been coming in and asking about what happened with the truck,” Ritenour said Friday afternoon. “They’ve been asking for directions.”

Cause of wreck still unknown

Driver dies, was ‘a very nice guy’

BY CASSIE SHANER The Dominion Post
   Police do not yet know what caused the fatal Friday-morning accident on Interstate 68 that caused traffic backups and delays for hours.
   A hazardous chemical spilled from the overturned tanker truck prompting officials to shut down traffic in both directions for more than 11 hours and issue a shelter-inplace advisory for thousands of Cheat Lake residents.
   Emergency officials said the accident was reported to MECCA 911 at 4:20 a.m.
   West Virginia State Police Sgt. D. Johnson said the tanker-type tractortrailer was traveling eastbound on I-68 near the 13-mile marker. “For whatever reason,” he said, it left the right side of the road and overturned in a ditch.
   Driver Paul Staley, 40, of New Martinsville, was killed in the accident.
   Staley was a real outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish, his former landlord, Joe Moellendick said.
   Moellendick rented an apartment to Staley and his wife when the couple first got married, and said Staley was an excellent tenant.
   “He was a very nice guy,” Moellendick said. “A big guy, but very nice, and very softspoken.”
   Moellendick said the couple has a young daughter and, after renting the apartment for a few years, had moved into a house in the area.

The chemical spill    

Brookhaven Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jimmy Lipscomb, also deputy chief of the Monongalia County HazMat Response Team, said the truck, which can hold 5,000 gallons, was carrying about 800 gallons of toluene diisocyanate, a toxic chemical used to manufacture polymer plastics and foams. After the accident, officials said the chemical began leaking at a rate of about a gallon per minute.
   Johnson said the chemical information was relayed to local fire officials, who ordered the roadway shut down and issued a shelter-in-place advisory for Cheat Lake area residents as a precaution.
   According to the American Red Cross Web site, a shelter-in-place emergency is a situation when residents are asked to stay indoors with all windows and exterior doors locked to protect themselves from chemical, biological and radiological contaminants that may have been released into the environment.
   Lipscomb said the decision to shut down I-68 and issue the advisory was based on the potential danger of the chemical, which reacts with water.
   “We got a brief rain shower in the area,” Lipscomb said. “We weren’t sure how much of this chemical had leaked initially. There are a few small streams that lead down into the Cheat Lake area, so we weren’t sure if it was into those yet or not.”
   Lipscomb said there was no health risk from the chemical “unless it got away from us — in a stream or waterway. For citizens in this area, there is no risk unless the product would get away from us.”
   The shelter-in-place advisory was lifted at about 11 a.m., after emergency workers created a dam out of earth to contain the chemical. Lipscomb said the chemical had been restricted to an area near the ditch measuring about 20-by-50 feet. He also said precautions were being taken to keep the chemical out of waterways.
   “We have it contained,” Lipscomb said. “We’re not afraid of it going anywhere.”
   John Hando, inspector specialist and HazMat Response Coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, said the chemical had not leaked on the roadway or into any waterways.
   “The only environmental concern right now is minimal soil contamination near the area where the tanker is sitting,” Hando said.
   Crews arrived midday to help clean up the spill and offload the chemical remaining in the tanker — a process that required the interstate to remain shut down, Johnson said.
   “In order to do that, we first have to right the truck, then offload it, and there’s still a possibility of a leak at that point,” Johnson said.
   Once the spill was contained, Johnson said officials waited for cleanup teams from Pennsylvania-based Weavertown Environmental and Slay Transport, the Missouri company that owns the truck, before attempting to move the tractor-trailer.
   “We have not had much access to the vehicle at this time for safety reasons,” Johnson said at a 12:30 p.m. press conference.
Lipscomb said crews had to clean up pools of liquid lying on the ground and move dirt before traffic could be permitted on Interstate 68. The road was reopened about 5 p.m. Friday, with one eastbound lane still closed. West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Department of Transportation are investigating. Ted Tahan, a spokesman for Slay Transport, said he could not provide any further information about the cause of the accident.

Spilled toxic chemical reacts with water

Safety precautions taken, but no health problems reported

The Dominion Post

   A toxic chemical that leaked from an overturned tractor-trailer Friday is only dangerous to those closest to the substance, experts said.
   Toluene diisocyanate is a colorless liquid used in the manufacture of polymer plastics and foams. A common component of specialty paints, said Dr. Alan Ducatman, chair of community medicine at WVU, it “is one of the class of chemicals that make modern auto body paints so good.”
   John Hando, inspector specialist and HazMat Response Coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, said the material — while it can create an asthma-like allergy — is not gaseous.
   “You can be standing close to the material,” Hando said. “It does not give off a gas. It is not toxic in that form. You have to get it on you or somehow eat it or drink it.”
   Hando said the chemical produces carbon dioxide when it reacts with water. If the tractortrailer had been more severly damaged in Friday’s accident, rain showers in the Morgantown area could have created a more serious problem.
   “If you could get water in the tanker and this material starts to react, you could build up pressure inside that tank truck,” Hando said. “That’s not what occurred. The tanker is intact.”
   Ducatman said the biggest risk was for people at the accident scene.
   “The use of personal protective equipment is important for workers such as EMTs,” he said.
   Jimmy Lipscomb, deputy chief of the Monongalia County HazMat Response Team, said emergency personnel wore protective clothing appropriate for the situation.
   Ducatman said a sufficient dose of the chemical could cause irritation to the skin, eyes, lungs and throat. Symptoms such as increasing cough, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting would all be reasons for concern, he said.
   Anyone at the accident scene who exhibited those symptoms should seek immediate medical attention, Ducatman said.

10/11/2007 - Star City VFD in the News

The West Virginia University School Newspaper, The Daily Atheneum, reported an article on the Star City VFD and the amount of out of state student volunteers.

Star City VFD home to many out-of-staters

By Amber Marra, Staff Writer

The Star City Volunteer Fire Department has more than 50 firefighters and more than half of them are college students not from West Virginia.

The volunteer fire department covers areas outside of Morgantown’s city limits like Sterling Ridge Apartments, The District, parts of Interstate 79 and several other areas.

The volunteers have to pass a series of classes and tests before they can become members. The classes include, but aren’t limited to, CPR, First Responder and a 60-hour firefighting course.

“It’s difficult to double my school schedule with the training and requirements the fire department makes us have,” said John Madison, a senior nursing major and lieutenant at Star City Volunteer Fire Department from New Jersey.

Even with the pressures of school and work, many of the firefighters find a friendly atmosphere while they’re far away from their families.

“I like to spend my free time at the fire house and putting my time into helping people where they really need it,” said Andrew Melnyk, a senior sociology major and firefighter from Maryland.

The Star City VFD performs drills and maintenance at the fire station every Wednesday. Though some of the firefighters aren’t even from West Virginia, they still call Morgantown and the fire station home.

“I wouldn’t trade this place for the world because you build a lot of comrades – it’s almost like having a second family,” said Greg White, a graduate student in athletic training and firefighter from New Jersey.

The Star City VFD is kept busy with about 400 calls per year to come to the aid of areas surrounding Morgantown. Many of the student firefighters sacrifice a good night’s sleep before class the next day to go out and fight a fire.

Though many of the firefighters at Star City have been volunteering in Morgantown for a few years, they can still find subtle differences in firefighting between West Virginia and their homes.

“The only difference is that fire departments back home get a lot of money, and there really is no money here. We have to struggle to get grants for simple things like maintaining the trucks – it’s a shame,” said Sean Whelan, a senior industrial engineering major and firefighter from New Jersey.

The Star City VFD is always looking for volunteer firefighters who wish to join the department. Those looking for more information can check the department’s Web site at starcityvfd.com or call the station at 599-1539.

“If you are a firefighter somewhere else, you’re a firefighter everywhere you go, and the Star City VFD is a great opportunity to continue what you love doing,” Madison said.

10/8/2007 - Motor Vehicle Accident - Stewartstown Road

On 10/08/2007 at approximately 0245 hours, Company 20 and Mon EMS were alerted for a motor vehicle accident.  Initial reports were that a vehicle had rolled with unknown entrapment.  Unit 202 and Engine 203 responded. Ambulance 61 arrived on scene and advised the vehicle was on its side with negative entrapment, but they did have access problems. Unit 202 and Engine 203 arrived on scene and assisted with stabilization and patient removal. Crews remained on scene until approximately 0345 until tow services arrived and removed the vehicle from the roadway.

10/7/2007 - Structure Fire - Dartmouth Road

On 10/07/2007 at approximately 2245 hours, companies 20, 17, and 23 were alerted for a reported structure fire on Dartmouth Rd. off Willowdale Road. Engine 203 responded shortly with 8 personnel and 201 responded with 4. 17-4 arrived on scene (POV) and advised he had smoke showing with a working fire. Engine 203 arrived soon after and reported a working dryer fire.  Crews contained the fire and had it under control within minutes.  Engines 233, 173, and squad 231 were also on scene. Crews from Co. 20 remained on scene until approximately 0030 hours performing salvage and overhaul.

10/4/2007 - Community Service Project

On 10/4/2007 he Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity along with the Alpha Phi Sorority participated in a community service project at he Star City Volunteer Fire Department by helping clean the trucks, equipment, and building.  Below are some pictures of the event.

9/19/2007 - Motor Vehicle Accident, Vehicle into a structure - Chaplin Road

On 9/19/2007 at approximately 1930 hours, Company 20 and Mon EMS were alerted for a motor vehicle accident on Chaplin Road in the area of Smitty’s Ice Cream shop.  Mecca 911 reported that there were reports of an unresponsive driver with possible entrapment.  Unit 202, Engine 203, and Engine 201 responded.  Unit 202 arrived on scene and 20-1 reported that there was 1 vehicle into a house, unsure of structural compromise, negative entrapment.  Crews stabilized the vehicle and the structure.  Crews assisted EMS with patient extrication.  Pt was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital by Mon EMS.  Crews remained on scene until vehicle was removed from the structure.   

Car hits house on Chaplin Hill Road

The Dominion Post
   Firefighters (above) move in to brace the corner roof of the house at 333 Chaplin Hill Road. A Mercury Sable driven by Russell Steen, of Cranberry Township, Pa., went off the road and struck a 4-wheeler, a motorcycle and the home. The car pushed the 4-wheeler and motorcycle into the living room.
   Monongaalia County Emergency Medical Services workers and Star City and Granville fire department firefighters (right) move Steen into an ambulance after the accident.
   “I just went to bed and I heard a big boom,” said Arthur Wagner, a resident of 333 Chaplin Hill Road. “[Steen] seemed to be having a seizure when I came down.”
   Cpl. R. E. Garrison, of the West Virginia State Police, said Steen was conscious and talking. Garrison said he was combative and paramedics had to strap him down. Witnesses report Steen traveled under the I-79 underpass at Star City at a slow speed on the wrong side of the road before striking the Wagner residence.

(pictures courtesy of the Dominion Post)

9/19/2007 - Building Fire - Mileground Road

On 9/19/2007 at approximately 1050 hours, Companies 12, 20, and 14 were alerted for a reported fire at the BFS gas station on Mileground Rd.  Engine 203 and Tower 204 responded from Company 20.  Units arrived on scene to find the plastic façade on the awning above the gas pumps had caught fire due to an electrical malfunction in the light equipment.  The fire was extinguished with a dry chemical extinguisher.  Truck company crews overhauled the roof to search for extension.  Units went in service at 1158.

Gas station employees contain fire

Canopy burns at BFS Foods on Mileground

BY J. MILES LAYTON The Dominion Post
   Before firefighters arrived, BFS Foods employees rushed to extinguish a fire in a canopy above several gas pumps at the Mileground Road store Wednesday.
   Craig Edmond, of the Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department, said the fire was caused by something electrical around the lights within the canopy. The heat from the fire caused the plastic paneling covering the canopy to melt.
   “The black smoke made it look pretty bad,” said Edmond, who estimated damage to the canopy at $8,000 to $10,000.
   Store Manager Michael Fast said as soon as he saw the smoke, he shut off the power to the gas pumps under the canopy and grabbed an extinguisher.
   Gary Hatch, director of operations for BFS, also grabbed an extinguisher, as did an unidentified customer.
   “Thanks to our employees following the procedures, we were able not to have a catastrophe,” Hatch said. “They did everything right.”
   Moments later, 20 firefighters from the Cheat Lake, Brookhaven, Granville and Star City VFDs arrived. Two ladder trucks extended their ladders to allow firefighters to get close and extinguish any remaining fire.
   “There was a quick response by the fire department, and we are grateful to have volunteer fire departments in the county,” Hatch said.
   Hatch said once the power was turned off, there was no chance of an explosion because the fuel is stored in tanks under the concrete, 6 feet below ground. Without power, fuel could not flow into the gas pump, hoses or the nozzles.
   Hatch said the store opened about 30 minutes after firefighters left, at around 12:30 p.m., and started selling fuel about an hour later

(pictures courtesy of the Dominion Post)

9/18/2007 - Vehicle Fire - Chestnut Ridge Road

On 9/18/2007 at approximately 1748 hours, Company 20 was alerted for a vehicle fire in the area of Walgreen’s on Chestnut Ridge Road.  Engine 203 responded with 5 personnel.  203 arrived on scene to find a pick up truck with fire coming from the engine compartment and front of the cab.  Mon EMS was on scene and attempted to extinguish prior to 203’s arrival.  Crews deployed a 1 ¾” pre connected hand line and extinguished the fire.  Fire was called under control at 1803.  Crews removed debris from the roadway and a tow service removed the vehicle from the scene.  Units went in service at 1838.    

9/14/2007 - Motor Vehicle Accident - I-79 (Star City ramp)

One dead, one hurt in I-79 rollover

Lorna Hayes, 76, killed in accident

BY BRANDY BRUBAKER The Dominion Post
   A vehicle rolled over on an offramp of Interstate 79 at the Star City exit Friday afternoon, killing one woman and injuring another.
   Lorna Hayes, 76, of Morgantown, was pronounced dead at the scene upon emergency officials’ arrival, just after noon.
   Her passenger, Tracy Hayes, 37, also of Morgantown, was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital. As of 3 p.m., she was still being evaluated in the emergency room, a hospital spokeswoman said.
   The women are related, but police weren’t sure of the connection.
   According to State Police Trooper Chad Whetzel, Lorna Hayes lost control of her Toyota 4Runner while coming off the interstate. The SUV rolled several times before stopping in the grassy median between the highway on and off ramps.
   Lorna Hayes was partially thrown from the vehicle. She did not appear to have been wearing a seat belt, Whetzel said.
   Tracy Hayes was trapped inside the vehicle as firefighters worked to cut her out. Whetzel did not know if Tracy Hayes was wearing her seat belt.
   The SUV’s hood and roof were crunched, and its windshield was smashed and contorted. Two sheets were placed on each door by emergency officials. One, on Lorna Hayes’ side, was splattered with blood. A tire was missing from the back of the vehicle after the crash.
   The front passenger’s-side door had to be cut from the rest of the vehicle to get Tracy Hayes out. It had been tossed in the grass not far from the vehicle. Other items were strewn around, including a CD, the vehicle’s instruction manual and a pair of brown velcro shoes.
   A family member came upon the crash on her way from work and approached Whetzel. He told her what had happened and she nearly collapsed in his arms. He and several firefighters comforted and supported the woman.
   Whetzel then brought his patrol car over and sat the woman in the front seat. Leaving her car on the side of the road, they drove off.
   State police, the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department, Star City Police Department, Star City and Westover volunteer fire departments, and Monongalia Emergency Medical Services assisted.

1st Annual Poker Run

to benefit the

Star City

Volunteer Fire Department

September 29, 2007

Registration: 10:00 - 12:00 Noon

at

 Star City VFD

Tickets: $20 per bike

               $10 per rider

First Prize: $400

Second Prize: $150

8/19/2007 - Structure Fire - Scotts Run Road

Suspicious fire destroys vacant building    
 

The Dominion Post
A suspicious Sunday morning fire destroyed a vacant Osage building.
   The Scotts Run Road building used to be Moore Home Center, Granville firefighters said.
   The fire, called in at 3:20 a.m. Sunday by a neighbor, was already fully involved by the time firefighters arrived on scene.
   It took a couple of hours to get the fire under control. Firefighters remained on the scene until 10:41 a.m. putting out the flames.
   Hazmat crews also were called to the fire to keep tar from running off into the water supply. Inside the former home center were buckets of roofing tar, which melted in the heat and then were pushed onto the road by thousands of gallons of water used to put out the fire.
   The road was closed temporarily as chunks of tar were cleaned from the roadway.
   Granville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Butch Renner said the state fire marshal’s office was called to investigate. Renner did not know what caused the blaze, but said it appeared suspicious because no utilities were hooked up to the building.
   Also assisting at the scene were the Clinton District, Cheat Lake, Cassville, Westover and Star City volunteer fire departments, Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department, Star City Police Department, Granville Police Department, Westover Police Department, W.Va. State Police and Monongalia Emergency Medical Services, according to MECCA 911’s media log.

07/08/2007 - Motor Vehicle Accident - Interstate

Five killed in I-68 accident

The Dominion Post
   Firefighters from Cheat Lake, Brookhaven and Star City volunteer fire departments along with Monongalia County EMT’s and rescue personnel and Jan Care EMT’s responded to an accident on Interstate 68. Responders worked to free people trapped in at least two vehicles near the Pierpont exit at 10:21 p.m. Sunday. A third vehicle was involved in the accident.
   According to volunteer firefighters and police radio traffic, five people died in the multi-vehicle wreck, including a child. At least one patient was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital via HealthNet. EMS units from Point Marion were dispatched to the area to cover for the Monongalia County units. West Virginia State Police and Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department were also on scene.
   No further information was available as of press time.

07/01/2007 - Structure Fire - West Park Avenue (Westover)

Two injured in Westover house fire

Police investigate blaze as arson; woman taken to Pittsburgh

BY BRANDY BRUBAKER The Dominion Post
   Two people were taken to the hospital — at least one with reported serious burn injuries — after a suspicious fire in Westover on Saturday.
   The house, at 199 W. Park Ave., caught fire at about 7:30 p.m.
   Westover Police Lt. Dan Shane said the fire is being investigated as a possible arson.
   Shane did not release the names of the injured people Sunday afternoon, but did say they were inside the house at the time of the fire.
   Neighbors said they thought the woman who lived there is named Marcella Arnold. A patient at West Penn Hospital’s burn unit in Pittsburgh matched that name, but a nursing supervisor said the family did not authorize the release of her condition.
   The property, which was being rented out, is owned by Gary Walden, Shane said. Neighbors said Arnold had lived there for years. Neighbors did not know the name of the man who also was reportedly injured in the blaze. Sunday afternoon, a state fire marshal and Westover police officers surveyed the scene and took notes. The brick house, which sits near Connecticut Avenue, had a large hole in its side, but was still standing. Yellow police tape, which blocked off the driveway, seemed out of place in the quiet neighborhood. One neighbor, who didn’t give her name, said Arnold was badly injured and had to be taken by medical helicopter to Pittsburgh. “She looked like she was burned pretty bad,” the neighbor said. “Her face was pretty white.” She said the fire gutted the home. Another neighbor said Arnold is a very nice woman and a hard worker. “She’s a sweet, sweet lady,” the neighbor, who also didn’t give her name, said. “It’s really sad.” The neighbor said she heard Arnold was in bad shape, but wished the best for her.
   Westover Volunteer Fire Department was assisted at the scene by firefighters from Granville and Star City, and paramedics and EMTs from Monongalia Emergency Medical Services and Jan Care.
   No cause of the fire was released as of press time, as the blaze was still being investigated. The Westover Volunteer Fire Department could not be reached for comment.

Pictures and article above are courtesy of the Dominion Post

06/07/2007 - Illegal Burn - Ackerman Road

Builder cited for burning old house


May also face DEP charges for work-site blaze

BY BRANDY BRUBAKER
The Dominion Post

A foreman from a North Carolina developer was cited for illegal burning after a fire at a construction site off Ackerman Road.
State Police Cpl. Rob Garrison said Jeff McKinney, of Mega Builders LLC, was given the citation Wednesday night for burning materials at the site of a future student-housing complex.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection also is investigating and could issue a citation of its own.
According to its Web site, Mega Builders plans to construct a studenthousing complex off Ackerman Road to house 600 to 700 students. Residents say they’ve been busy clearing land.
West Virginia Division of Highway workers in the area building a bridge said that Mega Builders workers bulldozed down an old house and then set it on fire Tuesday morning. The fire burned, often unattended for hours at a time, throughout the day and into Tuesday night, workers said.
Dave Lemley was visiting his daughter, who lives next to the site, and called 911 at about 11 p.m. Tuesday, because he said he was concerned for the nearby homes.
Star City Volunteer Fire Department firefighters and state police traveled out the narrow, dead-end road to investigate.
Lemley said firefighters put out the blaze, but it was still smoking as of Wednesday afternoon. Garrison said it continued to smolder Thursday until fire crews returned to the scene and put it out again.
Lemley said he’s concerned for the health of his daughter and her neighbors. DOH workers said they are concerned, too. They took a sample of the materials in the fire to have it tested. Lemley estimated that the house was at least 80 years old and could’ve been constructed with asbestos. The blaze consumed an area about 10 by 15 feet, Lemley said.
He said the old, abandoned house was filled with trash — including tires and toys.
Brian Tephabock, with DEP’s Divison of Air Quality, said Mega Builders was issued a forestry permit that allowed them to burn brush materials associated with clearing land — not building debris or trash. The permit was only valid from March 1 to May 15. Tephabock said Mega Builders selected May 15 as the end date.
He said the results of his investigation will be forwarded to DEP in Charleston and to the state Bureau for Public Health, since asbestos concerns were raised.
A citation for burning improper materials could be issued, he said.
But, for now, neighbors and state workers don’t know what they breathed in.
Garrison said exposure to asbestos or other toxins is always a concern with building materials.
He said he was told that one of the state workers complained of a sore throat Thursday.
Tephabock said he was told a firefighter was injured while putting out the fire Tuesday night. Star City VFD could not be reached Thursday.

05/06/2007 - MVA; Hazmat - Interstate 79

Company 20 was alerted for an MVA on I-79 @ milepost 156 at 04:00. Initial dispatch advised tractor-tanker, unknown contents, multiple rollover. 202 & 203 responded. The driver, who suffered some cuts & bruises and a punctured lung (not sure if she self-extricated or was ejected) advised she was transporting soy cooking oil (No placards were on the truck). She was also covered in the product head-to-toe. Initial sizeup noted diesel fuel leaking into a drainage ditch contaminating groundwater, however it was determined the 'water' flowing down the side of the road was actually the cooking oil, flowing from two breaches in the tanker @ approx 500 gpm. HAZMAT, Co. 17 & 13 were alerted to assist. River booms were set up on Mon River @ Jimtown and in Scotts Run, where the drain on the interstate led to. Back on the interstate, we dug three dams to try & contain the product, and DOH arrived with approx 5 tons of cinders. We waited for a while for a truck to come to offload the rest of the oil before the tanker was up righted.  Other agencies involved/notified were WV Dept. of Transportation/Pub. Svc. Commission, Div. of Environmental Protection, Red Cross, Sheriff's Dept, State Police, Star City PD, Westover PD, Ofc of Homeland Security, Coast Guard (for waterway contamination), and Miller Environmental for clean-up. All Company 20 Units called in station at 12:00 hours.

Pictures above and article below are courtesy of the Dominion Post

Flipped truck dumps soybean oil

Driver suffers minor injuries, taken to Ruby

BY J. MILES LAYTON The Dominion Post
   A tanker truck wrecked off the southbound lane of Interstate 79 near the Star City bridge and dumped thousands of gallons of soybean oil and some diesel fuel into a ditch that leads to Scotts Run — which feeds into the Monongahela River — at about 4 a.m. Monday.
   Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Bill Yaskoweak said the accident is under investigation.
   The sheriff’s department said it was unable to provide the name of the female driver of the truck.
   Although the truck was heavily damaged, the woman crawled out of the cab and made her way to the roadside, police said.
   She sustained only cuts and bruises, and was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital.
   Star City Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jeff Quinn said the truck veered off the highway into the ditch, overturned and slid for a couple hundred feet before it came to a stop.
   More than 5,000 gallons of vegetable oil and 75 gallons of diesel fuel leaked out of the truck, forcing cleanup crews to spread out to try to contain the contaminants before they polluted nearby waterways.
   Near the base of the Star City bridge, teams of workers from Miller Environmental Inc. scrambled to contain the vegetable oil flowing in Scotts Run.
   Because oil is lighter than water, the oil was easy to spot floating on top of the copper-colored creek water.
Tadpoles swam through the oily water. Workers placed long strands of spongy material in the creek to soak up the oil. “The cleanup is ongoing, but we are having a lot of success,” said Mike Miller, owner of Miller Environmental, on Monday evening.
Miller said there were eight workers on the site Monday and they would be cleaning affected areas for the next few days. “None of the wildlife that we observed has been affected,” he said.

Star City turns 100!!

Come Celebrate Star City's Centennial

Thursday, May 3 Carnival begins, Sellaro Field next to the Star City Post Office

Friday, May 4 All Day: Carnival, Sellaro Field

Saturday, May 5 All Day: Carnival, Sellaro Field

04/03/2007 - Structure Fire - Morgantown Medical Arts Building (Wedgewood Drive)

     Companies 20, 17(Granville), 23(Westover), and Co. 15's(Clinton District) Tanker were alerted at 01:31 for a reported structure fire at the Morgantown Medical Arts Building.  Engine 203 and Engine 201 responded from Co. 20 with a total of 14 personnel.  Mecca-911 advised that Mon EMS called it in.  They reported that they heard an explosion and saw fire shooting in the air.  Mecca also stated that they too heard the explosion.  Engine 203 was the first unit on scene at 01:42 and reported a working fire on the roof.  Crews from E-203 laddered that 2 story office building and advanced a hand line to the roof and began extinguishing the fire.  The fire was found to be coming from an HVAC unit.  Engine 201 arrived soon after and laddered side C of the structure.  201's crew went to the roof to assist 203's crew.  Ladder 176 arrived next and ladder the roof with their quint, and assisted with overhaul.  Crews also forced entry into the building to search for fire extension.  The interior team reported no smoke condition however there was a smell of something burning.  A key holder arrived on scene and they gained access to the room under the fire.  It was found that no extension was present.  The fire was placed under control by command 20(Jeff Quinn) at 02:21.  Moderate damage was reported to the roof of the structure although no other structural damage was reported.  E-203 and E-201 remained on scene for overhaul and cleared at 03:28.  Units were re-dispatched for a reported re-kindle to the same address at 08:34.  Called advised that there was a smell of burning.  Crews investigated and found a small amount of insulation smoldering on the roof.  Fire was extinguished and crews returned to service.  The fire is thought to be electrical and no injuries were reported as a result.       

(Click on a picture below for a larger view)

03/26/2007 - Structure Fire - Holbert Lane

     Company 20, along with Co. 17(Granville) and 23(Westover) were dispatched at approx. 02:15 for a confirmed structure fire with reported entrapment on Holbert Lane, off of Lazelle Union Road.  Engine 203 and Unit 202 responded with 9 total personnel.  Engine 203 was the first apparatus on scene and reported a single family, multi-story dwelling fully involved.  Engine 173 was second in on scene and between the two apparatus multiple hand lines and 2 1/2" lines were stretched for a defensive attack.  While enroute MECCA-911 confirmed entrapment in the residence.  Due to heavy fire conditions and poor water supply, rescue efforts were not possible.  Command 17 added Co. 13(Cassville) to the call as well as Co. 18's(Mount Morris, PA) tanker and Co. 15's(Clinton District) tanker.  Crews remained on scene for more than 12 hours.  Mon County Medical Examiner was on scene as well as WV State Fire Marshal.  Mon EMS and Mon. County Sheriffs Dept also responded.  There were two fatalities as a result of this fire.  The fire is still under investigation.

(Click on images below for larger view)

03/07/2007 - Cairns Leather Helmet Raffle

 The Star City Volunteer Fire Department is holding a leather helmet raffle to be drawn at Star City's Centennial Parade Celebration on May 5, 2007.  Included in this raffle is your choice of a N5A Leather New Yorker or an N6A Houston.  The winner may select the color of the helmet, including a customized front shield.  There are only 200 tickets being sold for this raffle.  Tickets are $5.00 a piece.  Tickets may be bought at our station or from any firefighter.  For any questions regarding this raffle you may call (304) 599-1539 or email questions to SCVFDstore@starcityvfd.com.

Tickets will be on sale at the Star City VFD up until the Centennial Parade!!

03/03/2007 - Longaberger Basket Bingo

    The Star City Volunteer Fire Department would like to thank everyone who attended the basket bingo to support us.  It is people like that keeps our doors open.  We would also like to thank the American Red Cross for donating their time to sell food and all the other local businesses that helped make this event possible.  One again, Thank You.

02/16/2007 - Structure Fire - Cheat Lake

Fire destroys Cheat Lake condos

Cause unknown in Greystone Circle blaze