THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 13, 1995 TAG: 9502130088
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
A century-old Suffolk home was destroyed by fire early Sunday,
leaving two families homeless. The blaze in the 100 block of Wellons
Street was discovered about 7:45 a.m. Two couples and their 10
children fled the building. It took several hours for 35
firefighters to bring the fire under control. ``The attic, where the
main body of fire was contained, had been converted into storage for
antique furniture'' with many false walls, said Lt. Jeff Messinger,
a fire department spokesman. That made it difficult for firefighters
to get at the blaze. And the second floor was so weakened by fire
that crews had to pull out of the building and attack the flames
from the exterior. The value of damage to the building and personal
property was set at $85,000, although that does not include the
value of the antiques, which was not immediately known. Messinger
said the house was one of the oldest structures in the area. The Red
Cross and the Salvation Army were assisting the two displaced
families.
KEYWORDS: FIRE by CNB