Fire damages Wytheville residence

Apparently sparked by an electric wall heater in a bathroom, a Wednesday morning blaze gutted a single-story Wytheville residence.
No one, though, was hurt in the 11 a.m. fire at 143 Wisteria Lane, which is off of Old Stage Road.
According to Wytheville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ronnie King, the fire had apparently been burning inside Barbara Corvin’s house for about an hour before anyone noticed smoke and reported it. Corvin wasn’t at home when the fire started, King said.
“When we got there we had smoke showing under the eaves all the way around,” said King who battled the blaze with four other Wytheville firefighters and additional volunteers from Rural Retreat.
Firefighters stayed at the residence until 2:30 p.m. to get the fire under control.
King said that some household items inside the residence would be salvageable but that the fire essentially gutted the dwelling.
“Basically, the interior of the house is totaled,” he said.
He estimated damage to the home at $30,000.
—Staff report