FOLLANSBEE - A Clifton Street home is now a total loss after a fire took hold Tuesday afternoon.
Firefighters from Follansbee and Hooverson Heights were dispatched to the home at 866 Clifton St. at about 12:30 p.m. and were on scene for about an hour, said Follansbee Fire Chief Larry Rea.
Rea said three people were inside the home when the fire began, but that all managed to make it out of the home.
Article Photos
THREE ESCAPE — A fire destroyed a Follansbee residence at 866 Clifton St. Tuesday afternoon as Follansbee and Hooverson Heights Fire Departments worked to battle the blaze. Officials indicated three people were inside the home at the time of the fire, but all managed to make it out of the structure. -- Jeremy Kins
James C. Wallace Jr. suffered minor burns to his face, while his fiancee and stepson suffered from smoke inhalation. The three were transported by the Brooke County Ambulance Service to Weirton Medical Center, where they were treated and released.
Rea said the cause of the fire hasn't been determined but is believed to have been accidental and to have originated in the kitchen.
He said the fire spread quickly though the small, two-story home but firefighters were able to contain it in about 10 minutes. They remained on the scene to address hot spots, Rea said.
Wallace, who was outside the home later that day, said he and his family had been renting the house and lost everything, including tools he used as a self-employed contractor specializing in drywalling and painting.
The three are staying with family members.
(Kins can be contacted at jkins@heraldstaronline.com and followed via his @jkinsHS Twitter account. Staff writer Warren Scott contributed to this report.)
