3-Alarm Blaze Destroys 5 Businesses In Harpers Ferry
HARPERS FERRY, WV (WJZ)--A major blow for one of the most historical areas across the country. A fire rips through parts of Old Town Harpers Ferry near the National Park destroying several businesses.
Rick Ritter has the latest.
In the dark, flames light the way through Old Town Harpers Ferry. A small town, rich with history, left in disbelief.
The call for a 3-alarm fire came in early Thursday morning.
An area lined with shops and restaurants, some buildings built before the Civil War, in the middle of raging flames.
"It looked like I was in a movie, the flames and smoke were unbelievable," said David Heise, owner of Scoop's Ice Cream.
Officials say the fire started between two buildings, quickly trickling up the stairs and torching at least five businesses.
On Thursday, many line up to catch a glimpse of the damage.
"I feel like I'm in a war zone, amazing how much damage," said Heise.
Scoop's Ice Cream shop is right next door to where the fire started, somehow the flames never hit David Heise's shop.
Chairs and benches in an area that relies on summer business now sit empty.
A long road to recovery for a tight-knit community that's trying to find a lone bright spot.
"As bad as this is, we could've lost the entire town," one business owner says.
Somehow no one was injured. The State Fire Marshal's Office in West Virginia was on scene late into the night.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation..
The fire shut down a Marc train station across the street for parts of Thursday but the station was not damaged.