MORGANTOWN — Off-duty firefighters from the Morgantown Fire Department were called in to battle a blaze at an empty building on Don Knotts Boulevard.
When firefighters arrived at 195 Don Knotts Blvd. — the former Dinsmore Tire building — about 2:20 a.m. on Wednesday, they saw flames coming through the roof and the officer in charge called for a second alarm response, then a general alarm, according to a Morgantown press release.
A general alarm requires all off duty firefighters to come in, the release said. The original section of the building was saved by using two aerial platform trucks to suppress the fire. The rear section of the building’s roof, believed to have been added in the 1970s, was destroyed by the fire and efforts to fight it.
The building is located next to the water treatment plant and a Morgantown Utility Board water treatment plant employee called 911 about the fire, MUB spokesperson Chris Dale said.
“We thank the Morgantown Fire Department for their prompt and effective response,” Dale said.
There were no injuries reported by firefighters or civilians, the release said.
The building is vacant and owned by the MUB, according to the release. Investigators from the MFD believe the fire started in the back of the building and the investigation is ongoing
Following the conclusion of the fire investigation, which is expected to finish on Wednesday, MUB will demolish the metal framed buildings and fence off the area, Dale said.
MUB will also take additional steps to secure the original buildings, which survived the fire, against unauthorized entry, which has been an ongoing concern, Dale said.
It was “apparent” to firefighters and investigators that the building was being used by homeless people and the cause may be connected to their presence, the release said.
MUB purchased the property in February 2019 for $738,000 to expand the water treatment plant in the future, Dale said.
“Because the property was once an oil pumping station and an auto garage, MUB has applied for a Brownfields Grant to demolish the original buildings and return the area to grasslands,” Dale said. “The result of this application is expected in June. The buildings have been vacant since the time of MUB’s purchase.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Morgantown Arson Hotline at 304-225-3586.
