Arson suspected in Barbour fire
Arson is suspected in a Friday morning fire that destroyed a new home in Barbour County, Philippi Fire Chief John Green said.
The state Fire Marshal’s Office is expected to investigate the fire that claimed a new home on Stone Cold Road near the Brownton area, Green said Monday. A representative of the Barbour County Office of Emergency Management said the Philippi Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at about 7:30 a.m. Friday.
Green said the home that burned was new, without occupants and did not have utilities hooked up yet. He said the fire may have started overnight, and the structure was beyond saving before the Philippi Volunteer Fire Department could arrive on scene.
The cause of the fire is unknown, and the blaze is considered to be suspicious, Green said.