The Parkersburg Fire Department responded to a fire at 1417 Lynn St. at 7:42 p.m. Thursday. There was fire damage to a front room as a couch was the point of origin. The structure has been used by area homeless and has been cleared out by the police on a number of occasions. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

PARKERSBURG — A vacant structure on Lynn Street was demolished Friday after a Thursday evening fire.

No injuries were reported in the fire at 1417 Lynn St., to which the Parkersburg Fire Department responded at 7:42 p.m. Thursday, Fire Chief Jason Matthews said.

Crews found a fire on the first floor of the building, which Matthews described as a former duplex that had been placarded.

“It has been vacant for some time,” he said.

One crew made an interior attack and another crew entered another door and were able to hit it from a different spot, Matthews said. The fire was confined to a room just inside from the front door, where a couch was burning which was determined to be the point of origin, Matthews said.

No injuries were reported in a fire at 1417 Lynn St. Thursday evening. Fire officials said people were reported leaving the structure when the initial call came in. The Parkersburg Fire Department had the fire out in 30 minutes. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

The fire was put out within 30 minutes. Matthews said the room suffered “significant damage.”

“We were able to contain it to that area,” he said.

The building had no utilities hooked up.

Crews searched the building and did not find anyone there.

“We did have reports prior to our arrival that there were people leaving the structure,” he said.

The exact cause of the fire is undetermined. Matthews said they don’t know yet if it was intentionally set or accidental.

Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce said the building had been “cleared of homeless squatters multiple times in the previous six months.”

“Officially it will be undetermined, but anyone with a lick of common sense can reasonably conclude that the vagrants who have been removed multiple times set this fire either on purpose or by accident,” he said.

The fire department responded with 16 firefighters, four engines, the ladder truck, the tower truck, the rescue truck and the command vehicle. Crews cleared the scene around 9:45 p.m.

The investigation is continuing.

Joyce said the building had been slated to be torn down as part of the city’s most recent demolition contract. City Engineer Adam Stout deemed it unsafe Friday morning so it was moved to emergency demolition status.

“(The) increased cost is yet to be determined, but it will be substantial,” Joyce said.

“Eventually someone is going to get hurt or killed, and that is the primary reason we need to stay the course as we approach 450-plus structures demolished since I took office in 2017,” he said.

Joyce said Matthews and Code Enforcement Director Andy Nestor work together to identify high-risk structures that need to be addressed.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com