Wheeling fire damages two townhouses

A fire inside the walls of a Wheeling townhouse Thursday morning caused approximately $75,000 in damage between two units, according to fire officials.

The fire broke out about 10:45 a.m. on the 300 block of Kingswood Lane and was under control by 11:24 a.m., said Wheeling Fire Batallion Chief Mark Menzel.

Fire officials said contractors were working on the two units on either side of the wall where the fire started, but they were not injured.

The fire started in a plumbing chase on the second floor and spread into the attic of both units, Menzel said.

One Wheeling firefighter suffered a minor cut during the blaze.

One of the units had residents living there and was left uninhabitable, officials said. The other affected unit was undergoing renovation and was not occupied.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation Thursday night, but officials said it was accidental.