Feb 16, 2015 2 min read

ALEPPO – Fire destroyed a two-story farmhouse early Sunday on Bryan Ridge Road in Aleppo Township.

The occupant of the house, Rick Johnson, escaped unharmed, though he lost everything in the blaze, said Allan Shipman, chief of New Freeport Volunteer Fire Company.

Johnson fled the house without a coat or shoes, Shipman said. Johnson’s neighbor brought him to his house to keep warm and the Red Cross provided him with clothing and other assistance.

The fire company was called to the house at 170 Bryan Ridge Road about 4:30 a.m. “It was pretty much fully engulfed” when firefighters arrived on scene, Shipman said.

Center, Wayne, Hundred, W.Va.,and Cameron, W.Va., fire companies were called to assist.

Firefighters had plenty of water, Shipman said. But in addition to fighting the fire, they fought the cold. Temperatures early Sunday were below zero degrees.

“Things froze up pretty badly,” Shipman said. “Nobody got hurt but we had a lot of frozen equipment.”

The valve on one fire company’s truck broke because of the cold, he said. Firefighters were on the scene for about four hours.

The fire apparently started at the rear of the home, though the cause is unknown. Shipman said he was unable to talk to Johnson, who was in a vehicle getting warm when he arrived on scene, and is not sure what might have been the source of the blaze.

Johnson apparently lived in the home alone, though his son also might have stayed with him, Shipman said. He said he didn’t know where or with whom Johnson might be staying.

The fire is not believed to be suspicious, Shipman said. The state police fire marshal was asked to determine the cause.