Fire Rips Through Top Floor of W.Va. Building
A two-alarm fire swept through a two-story mixed occupancy structure in Institute on Sept. 28.
At 9:03 a.m. the Institute Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire at 5016 Fairlawn Ave. Automatic aid from the Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department was also sent.
The first due crews encountered a heavy fire load on the second floor of the two-story, wood-frame building.
Under the direction of Chief Andre Higginbotham, the order was given for an exterior attack with master streams. Hoselines were deployed around the structure to contain the fire.
A special call for two tower ladders to aid in the firefight.
No injuries were reported and the fire was under control in two hours.
Firefighters were able to salvage much of the property from the first floor shop occupied by Don Juan's barbershop.
Mutual aid was received from the Dunbar and West Side Volunteer Fire Departments. The West Virginia State University Police helped with crowd control.
Ryan Pennington
RYAN PENNINGTON is a 22-year veteran of fire/EMS. He currently serves as a captain/paramedic with the Charleston, WV, Fire Department, where he has served for the past 12 years. Pennington has lectured and trained thousands of firefighters across the United States and internationally at conferences, including Firehouse Expo and Firehouse World, and has been published in many fire service publications.
