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Dec. 09--WILEY FORD, W.Va. -- Greater Cumberland Regional Airport Manager Terry Malone was at home when he got word about a fire inside the airport's 16-unit hangar Wednesday night that caused more than $2 million in damages.
"I got the call at 10:50 p.m. One of the tenants came to get something out of one of the aircrafts and discovered the fire. I hung up and called 911," said Malone, a 30-year member of the Wiley Ford Volunteer Fire Department.
Setting aside airport paperwork that he had been working on, Malone raced to the scene from his Wiley Ford home located next to the airport.
"Myself and some other airport employees pulled some of the airplanes out before firefighters arrived. It was an intense fire that melted the aluminum frames of the planes and the structure," he said late Thursday morning after meeting with an investigator from the West Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office.
Nine airplanes were destroyed -- most believed to be single-engine models -- and one other plane was damaged. Four planes were pulled out of the 700-by-64-foot hangar that Malone estimated to be valued at $500,000.
Late Thursday afternoon, Malone said the fire marshal's office estimated the property losses from the fire at $2.1 million.
Ten units in the unheated metal structure were destroyed and six others were damaged by smoke. The cost of one unit was estimated at $35,000.
The heavily damaged hangar is owned by the airport and is estimated to be about 20 years old. Sixty other hangars located at the airport and other buildings were not affected by the fire.
Details concerning the make and models of the affected airplanes and owner information was not immediately available. The information was being withheld by the fire marshal, pending investigation.
As to the cause of the fire, Malone said, "I don't feel it is suspicious in any way. I suspect an electrical problem or a heating system in an individual aircraft. Those are my first thoughts. There's a lot of high-octane fuel in those aircraft.
"The cause is under investigation. This will be a hardship for the aircraft owners while we get it straightened out. We're going to work with them any way we can to get them back in the air as soon as possible.
"The incident has not affected the airport operation," said Malone, who estimated 39 corporate- and privately-owned aircraft fly in and out of the airport daily, according to the latest information from the Federal Aviation Administration.
"This airport is a lot busier than people realize. The airport is home to over 40 employees, including the Maryland State Police Aviation Division and its medevac helicopter, the Runway Cafe restaurant that closed in August -- we're hoping to have it reopen with a new contractor in the spring -- and other businesses located at the airport, including a construction company and Emma's video gaming outlet. The airport employs nine workers in addition to my part-time position as manager.
"The airport is an integral part of the community. We have flights in and out throughout the day, including medical missions that are providing crucial services. This airport is a valuable asset for the entire tri-state region. Both states and local government strongly support the airport," said Malone.
The fire also brought members of the airport oversight panel to the scene to assess the situation.
The nine-member Potomac Highlands Airport Authority consists of four members from Allegany County, four from West Virginia and one from the city of Cumberland. The president of the authority is Cindy Pyles, who is a Mineral County commissioner.
Malone, who has managed the airport for nearly eight years, said he contacted the FAA and Maryland and West Virginia aviation officials during the night.
The firefighting operation involved 60 firefighters and was directed by Wiley Ford Volunteer Fire Department Chief Terry Ashenfelter. Ridgeley, Patterson Creek, Fort Ashby, Short Gap, Springfield, District 16 and Bedford Road volunteer fire departments also responded. Units were on the scene for more than two hours.
"We're happy no one was injured. All the responding fire departments did a wonderful job," said Malone.
Contact Jeffrey Alderton at [email protected].
