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NEWS BRIEFS
Fire destroys Milton home
MILTON -- Firefighters are unsure what caused a Milton home to catch fire early morning Friday.
Flames totally destroyed the one-and-a-half-story house located in the 900 block of Harrison Street, said Timmy Chastain, deputy chief for the Milton Volunteer Fire Department.
Cabell County 911 received word of the fire at 5:55 a.m. Chastain said a woman living at the home woke to a burning smell and escaped safely. She was the sole occupant.
The first crew to arrive on scene found the front of her house already fully engulfed in flames, Chastain said.
Firefighters did not determine a precise cause Friday, however Chastain described the blaze as accidental. He said space heaters were located in the front room, but it is not clear whether the appliances contributed to the fire.
Friday morning's frigid temperatures complicated the effort. He said water used to extinguish the fire quickly froze.
Another complicating factor was the home's construction. Chastain said flames became trapped in an attic space and burned for an extended period of time as crews fought through walls to gain access.
The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the home's resident.
The Milton Volunteer Fire Department received assistance from counterparts in Culloden and Ona.
