The Charleston Daily Mail
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Firefighters battled heavy smoke and fire to contain a spreading fire and rescue approximately five pets in the 900 block of 23rd Street.
Cabell County 911 received word of the fire at 9:36 a.m. Within 20 minutes the fire spread to a neighboring home and siren alerted firefighters to evacuate the initial structure.
The fire started inside of an abandoned house at the corner of 9th Avenue and 23rd Street. Neighbors said the home had been empty for some time, but a frequent scene for suspicious activity.
Flames only needed to reach a few feet to ignite the neighboring home at 905 23rd Street. That’s where firefighters rescued three cats from inside and two dogs kept in the backyard. Crews believe two cats and at least one bird perished inside the second home.
Fire officials described the originating house to be a total loss. They said the second home received significant fire damage.
Copyright 2011 Charleston Newspapers