PARKERSBURG - Parkersburg firefighters rescued two women from a Sunday morning house fire in south Parkersburg.
Fire Chief Eric Taylor said Virginia Peters, 89, and her daughter, Dolores Peters, 65, were home at 1004 Tygart St. about 8:08 a.m. Sunday when a fire started in their kitchen.
Taylor said Dolores Peters called 911 to report the fire and told dispatchers that she and her elderly mother were still in the home. Fire crews from the Camden Avenue station arrived a couple minutes later to find heavy smoke and flames shooting from the single-story home.
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Paramedic Eric Abilmona, left, and Parkersburg firefighter Jody Ludwig administer oxygen to a cat rescued from a house fire at 1004 Tygart St.
"The first arriving Engine 6 personnel could see the occupants through the locked front door," said Fire Captain Tim Flinn, the department's chief investigator. "They forced entry and carried each female out of the smoke-filled structure."
Both women had physical ailments and were not able to walk unassisted. One woman used crutches and the other used a walker, said Flinn.
"This was a well trained team effort by the firefighters," Flinn said.
The two women were treated on the scene by St Joseph's Ambulance Service. Family members and neighbors arrived shortly after the fire and assisted the two ladies.
Firefighters were also able to rescue a pet cat from the home. It was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, Flinn said.
Most of the fire was contained to the rear kitchen area, but the home sustained smoke and heat damage throughout. Damages are estimated at $30,000. The home had two working smoke detectors.
"The mother told our fire investigators that she saw sparks around the coffee pot and a roll of papers towels on fire," said Taylor. "Although the exact cause is still undetermined, it is believed to be an unknown electrical malfunction in the kitchen area."
