Names of fatal fire victims are released

MCCONNELSVILLE, Ohio. (WTAP) - Officials have released the names of the victims of Tuesday’s fatal fire in McConnelsville.

Their names were John and Genevieve Pearson, according to Malta and McConnelsville Fire Chief John Finley. They were both 77.

Finley said that the fire was ruled accidental.

It took all day to get the fire out but it was contained within an hour.

Finley said that the house is a total loss and will have to be demolished.

It happened on South Seventh Street.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: December 29, 2022 at 4:17pm

The Ohio Fire Marshall’s Office, the Malta-McConnelsville Fire Department, and the McConnelsville Police Department are investigating a structure fire resulting in two fatalities.

According to the Malta-McConnelsville Fire Department’s Facebook page, the department responded to a residential structure fire Tuesday afternoon.

The Stockport Fire Department, Beverly Volunteer Fire Department, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to the scene.

Also assisting were inactive, honorary, and retired firefighters and a past employee firefighter paramedic, and his wife, a paramedic who was passing through the village who came out to help.

You can read the fire department’s full statement below.

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