BELLAIRE — Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department officials deemed a home on Jefferson Street a total loss after a fire started on the home’s second floor and tore through the structure.

One person was in the building when the fire began around 11 a.m. Monday and was able to evacuate. According to BVFD Assistant Chief Timothy Bell Jr., the person did not sustain any injuries.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Bell said the BVFD was in contact with the Ohio State Fire Marshal to determine the cause of the fire.

Fire responders at the scene of the fire included the BVFD, the Martins Ferry Volunteer Fire Department, Neffs Emergency Medical Services and the Bellaire Police Department.

The fire was completely extinguished by 1:15 p.m. Once the fire was put out, Bell said the first responders conducted “some overhaul” to ensure everything was out of the building.

Bell said the fire crews battled the blaze by stretching a ladder from the top of the firetruck to the second floor of the building and using a hose to extinguish the flames.

Bell said the cold temperatures on Monday afternoon “most definitely” made the fire more difficult to extinguish. He said the intake valve on their firetruck, which controls the flow of water into the pump, froze and had to be thawed before it could be used.

Jefferson Street was closed to traffic for the duration of the fire.