Wheeling to Spend $35K to Demolish Fire Damaged Homes

The city of Wheeling is going to spend $35,000 to demolish a row of houses on Wheeling Island that were damaged in a fire earlier this month.

The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register reports that the City Council unanimously approved the expenditure this week to demolish the five homes.

Investigators believe the Jan. 2 fire was caused by a space heater. No injuries were reported and many of the houses were vacant.

City Manager Robert Herron says two of the five homes were insured, and insurance settlements will contribute to the total demolition cost. He says the city will place liens on the three uninsured properties, meaning the city can recoup its expense if the properties are ever sold.

Fire officials said it was the city’s largest fire since 2011.