Fire in Ferry prompts tanker task force response
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MARTINS FERRY -- The area near Jaycee Manor apartments was the site of a large fire Thursday.
Sirens and emergency vehicles were heard and seen in the streets of Martins Ferry beginning a little after 2 p.m. and blocked the area, but smoke was visible over the hillside from as far away as the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville.
Martins Ferry Fire Chief I Tom Kelly was contacted at the fire scene and was available to talk a little after 5 p.m. He provided some information about the fire and response.
"We're working on a few hot spots right now still," he said.
Kelly said the fire began on private property along Laslo Road.
"Far as (we know) the fellow was burning his garbage and it just fell out of the barrel or something and caught the woods on fire," Kelly said.
He said the fire posed a danger to the surrounding area.
"The guy who lives up here, the fire was actually going to his house, heading that way, and we was able to stop it before it got to his house and contain it to that area with the water that we had on two of our pumpers. So that helped hold that front down, so he was all right and nobody got hurt," Kelly added.
He said the blaze was not exacerbated by any power lines or transformers.
"There's nothing up in this area at all, other than what was going to his house,"the chief noted.
Kelly said the fire spread quickly, estimating it was about 100 yards wide and 500 yards deep. He said the fire's location posed some additional problems.
"I called in the (Belmont County) Tanker Task Force," Kelly added. "We have no (fire) plugs up in this area, so they took us a little time to get water, but we had a good bit knocked down before ... so that helped. And once we was able to get water from the tankers, everything was under control."
Emergency vehicles were observed filling up with water in the city itself. Multiple agencies from the surrounding communities rendered assistance.
Kelly added that the firefighters expected to have the fire fully doused by early Thursday evening.
"We were just talking about wrapping it up, but we're going to go and soak it one more time," he said. "I just want to thank everybody for their help. Everybody worked together and did a heck of a job."
The National Weather Service had issued a special weather statement for the local region Thursday, pointing to an enhanced fire danger. The warning said a combination of a very dry atmosphere and low fuel moisture would result in an enhanced danger this afternoon.