PARKERSBURG - The cause of a second fire Thursday night at a 14th Street residence is undetermined, a Parkersburg Fire Department inspector said on Friday.
The second fire was around 9:30 p.m. at 824 1/2 14th St. where about four hours earlier the first fire occurred and was apparently electrical in nature, said Capt. Tim Flinn, chief fire inspector.
The occupants of the residence, Nicky Patterson and her two children, were at home for the first fire, but no one was in the house for the second, Flinn said.
The first fire occurred at the electrical panel box, Flinn said. The electricity was off in the house as the service was disconnected at the pole after the first fire, he said.
The second fire occurred in a room near the front of the house, away from the panel box, he said.
"The electricity was off prior to the second fire," Flinn said.
It has not been determined if the second fire was related to the first, but it may be unlikely, Flinn said. Firefighters made sure no embers or hot spots remained in the walls or in the ceiling after the first fire, he said.
Cause of the first fire more than likely was electrical, Flinn said. However, the cause of the second fire is undetermined, he said.
"We haven't ruled out foul play," he said.
The second fire did a substantial amount of damage to the structure and it is uninhabitable, Flinn said. Most of the belongings also were destroyed, but some may be salvageable, he said.
Anyone with information about the fire can call the fire department or the police department at 304-424-8470 or 304-424-8444.
