U.S. Senator Capito Visits Site of Harpers Ferry Fire

Credit Liz McCormick / Wes

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West Virginia Public Broadcasting

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito visited Harpers Ferry Thursday to look at the wreckage left by a fire last week.

It’s been one week since a massive fire devastated four historic buildings containing eight shops and two apartments in the commercial district of Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry Mayor, Gregory Vaughn said Monday the damage affected nearly half of commercial businesses in the town.

During the week, Vaughn held talks with affected shop owners and with state officials to discuss rebuilding. On Thursday, Vaughn met with U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito to give her a tour of the wreckage.

Capito said during the tour that getting things back to normal would require all hands on deck, but that finding the funds to restore the historic buildings, shouldn’t be too difficult.

“It’s going to be a little bit easier lift, because there’s such intertwined with national resources and treasurers, you know the National Park and all the historic preservation in and around this area,” Capito noted, “And so, you know, we’re gonna work with whatever department we can, make those phone calls, hopefully we can shake some trees.”

The West Virginia Fire Marshal’s office says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.