West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has declared a state of emergency for Wood County as firefighters continue battling a large fire at the Peoples Cartage warehouse on Camden Avenue in Parkersburg.
The declaration authorizes state agencies to provide resources to support local response efforts, protect public safety and address any potential environmental impacts related to the fire.
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“Protecting the people of Wood County and supporting the brave first responders on the scene are our top priorities,” Morrisey said in a statement. “This State of Emergency ensures every available state resource is ready to assist local officials for as long as necessary while we continue monitoring conditions and protecting nearby communities.”
Morrisey traveled to Parkersburg on Sunday to coordinate with local officials and oversee state support efforts as crews worked to contain the blaze.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has deployed personnel from its Environmental Enforcement and Homeland Security and Emergency Response divisions to the scene. Officials said air quality monitoring is ongoing, and portable monitoring equipment has not detected conditions requiring additional protective actions.
State officials also requested assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has sent additional air monitoring equipment to help assess conditions around the fire.
Environmental officials are also evaluating potential impacts from firefighting runoff entering the nearby Little Kanawha River.
“People should know that we are taking this incident seriously and approaching it with an abundance of caution,” Morrisey said. “I appreciate the extraordinary work of our firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency personnel, and environmental teams. We will continue supporting them until this fire is extinguished and the community is safe.”
State agencies remain in contact with local responders and will continue monitoring conditions as firefighting operations continue. Residents are being urged to follow instructions from local emergency officials and avoid the area surrounding the warehouse.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.