FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 31, 2022

Morgantown Fire Department Responded to High Volume of Calls During Winter Storm

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - During winter storm Elliot, which began on December 23, The Morgantown Fire Department (MFD) responded to a volume of calls for service which was higher than usual.

At around 5:30 a.m. on the day the storm began, MECCA 911 Center began dispatching MFD units when strong winds caused arcing wires, transformer fires, downed trees, and a large trampoline that blew into a Norwood home.

As the temperature began to drop, MFD responded to several calls regarding frozen water lines that had burst, causing varying degrees of flooding. During the height of the increased call volume, MFD assisted the Monongalia County Volunteer Fire Units with the rekindling of a fire at a vacant residential structure on Round Bottom Rd.

Between December 23 and December 28, the Morgantown Fire Department responded to 128 calls for service. 45 of these calls were for automatic fire alarms, 40 were for frozen and burst sprinkler lines, and 14 were for domestic water supply lines, one of which was a sewer drain "stack" in a multi-occupant dwelling.

During this time, there was one structure fire in which MFD assisted county units, along with one "smoke scare" which was caused by a pet who had turned on the kitchen stove when it was home alone.

For more information, contact the Morgantown Fire Department at (304) 284-7480.

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