Woman mourned after fatal fire

WAYNE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A community is grieving after a woman died in a house fire.

The remains of the house in Wayne County were still smoldering Monday evening after it burned down Friday afternoon.

Dallas Brewer lives next to the home along Queens Creek in Prichard. He says a married couple and their daughter lived there.

He says around 1:30 Friday afternoon, he heard a loud noise.

“I heard a big popping noise,” Brewer said. “I went to the door and saw flames shooting out of the top of the house. I told my wife to call 911. I was scared they were in there.”

Brewer says he ran over and pounded on the door to see if anyone was home, but nobody answered. He tried to open the door, but it was locked, and he says debris from the burning home was falling on him.

“Glass busted out, the roof was ready to fall in,” he said. “I was standing on the porch, and it was all ready to collapse.”

He hoped the lack of a response meant nobody was home, but after firefighters arrived and put the fire out, he learned the mother had been inside alone and didn’t survive.

“It was so sad,” Brewer said. “I felt so sorry for her husband and daughter, too.”

Brewer says the family moved in more than 10 years ago.

“She had a good personality, but she was quiet,” he said. “She loved to mow. We’d see her in the summer time. She’d keep the yard good and cut.”

The fire marshal is investigating the cause.

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