A house fire off Daybrook Road on Friday morning claimed the life of a woman in her early 80s.
Mazzie McCoy did not escape the blaze, according to Nimrod McCoy, her brother-in-law.
Nimrod McCoy said Mazzie was still in her bedroom and his brother, George, was outside talking to a brush-clearing crew from the electric company. When he got back inside, the house was on fire and he couldn’t reach her through the smoke and fire. George was taken to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.
The two were married for “40 some” years and had lived in the house on Bert Park Road, near 1110 Daybrook Road, for about as long, Nimrod McCoy said.
George’s nephew, Dale Carpenter, said he’s more than welcome to stay at his home. Nimrod built a room on to Carpenter’s house a while back for George and his wife.
Carpenter said he and George have been close for the last several years.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known on Friday but Carpenter said Mazzie suffered from dementia and had a bad habit of dropping cigarettes.
Francis McCoy, another nephew of George’s, said the two had about a dozen dogs inside. Two of the dogs recently had litters, he said. At least two escaped. Queenie, a Jack Russell mix, and another that hadn’t been caught.
Blacksville Volunteer Fire Department, Wadestown VFD, Fairview VFD, Wayne Township VFD, Mon EMS and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department responded.
The fire was reported shortly after 10 a.m. A MECCA 911 supervisor said firefighters were still on the scene shortly before 3 p.m.
