PARKERSBURG - A Parkersburg man found on fire in his Hickory Street home Tuesday evening was taken to the hospital with serious burns.
A man called 911 around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday after he found his neighbor, 56-year-old Roger Parsons, unresponsive and on fire while reclined on his couch, said Capt. Delmas Barker, Parkersburg Police Department.
Parkersburg fire and police were called to the residence at 506 Hickory St.
"A man was sitting on his front porch, looked over and saw flames coming out of his neighbor's window. He went over to the house, tried knocking on the door," said Capt. Brian Drake, Parkersburg Fire Department. "He had to climb through a window to get inside. He dragged the man off the couch away from the fire, and extinguished the fire himself."
Initial reports to the Wood County 911 Center indicated Parsons may have been intoxicated, Drake said.
The fire was likely caused by smoking materials, and had been extinguished by the neighbor before crews arrived at the house, Drake said.
The victim was transported to a hospital with second- and third-degree burns. His condition was unavailable Tuesday night.
Barker said there were beer cans near the couch.
"It's not possible to say whether he was intoxicated at this point," said Barker. "One thing is for sure - his neighbor saved his life."
