A house fire broke out late Friday night/early Saturday morning at the home of Deloris Placer at 111 Hill St., Sistersville. According to her grandson, Sistersville Police Chief Ben Placer, his grandmother heard on the scanner there was a fire in Sistersville, she was on the second floor of her home and went to the window to see if she could she the fire. Mrs. Placer did not yet realize it was her own home ablaze. A nearby neighbor, Jerry Morse, who lives a block away on Virginia Street, spotted the fire and rushed to her home. He went through the front door and got Mrs. Placer outside to safety,

Chief Placer said he arrived right after the fire department who was working to get water to the home. He said he believes the fire may have started in the area around the back porch or downstairs near the porch and they were fortunate the fire didn’t spread more quickly to the upstairs. Chief Placer said the home was a five bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home and he believes it is a total loss.

Sistersville, Paden City, and New Martinsville Fire Departments all responded to the call.

Mrs. Placer was able to save only a handful of night clothes, along with the ashes of a recent pet she lost. Chief Placer said his grandmother had a rosary on the stand where she keeps her Bible; the stand and Bible were completely destroyed, but the rosary was discovered untouched.

The home and contents were insured, but it is not known if the insurance was not enough to cover the total loss of the home. The chief said they are waiting on the insurance adjustor, and the fire marshal to determine the cause. He said as of right now, to his knowledge there is no investigation as to the exact cause.

This is the second fire in the last two weeks in Sistersville.

Chief Placer said he was very thankful his grandmother was able to get out of the home without injury and was very grateful to her neighbor, Morse, for his efforts in rescuing her.