An early-morning house fire Wednesday destroyed a residential structure and threatened several others homes and businesses in a neighborhood southwest of the intersection of Clay and West Main streets in Charleston.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but it was a crisp morning and the mercury had dipped below freezing.
At one point, Charleston firefighters sent out a call for additional manpower, prompting personnel and equipment from nearby rural fire departments to respond.
Smoke from the fire filled the air across much of the city.
There were no reports of injuries, but one firefighter was overheard telling a dispatcher that the local Red Cross had been notified about the incident. Red Cross is known to provide aid and services to persons impacted and/or displaced by fires.
