Donations being accepted to help Kevin Moore family

KEYSER - On Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, Kevin Moore and his family lost his home and all contents due to a tragic fire.

The Jan. 23 blaze completed destroyed Moore's Parker Hollow Road home, located along the Mineral/Hampshire county line, as well as the contents.

Burlington Volunteer Fire Department chief Tom Simpson said the home was a total loss, as firefighters were hampered by a particularly busy night of fire calls and a lack of water to fight the blaze.

The back of the home was already engulfed in fire when Moore and his wife arrived home, and quickly spread to the entire structure.

The Kevin Moore Fire Disaster Fund has therefore been established, sponsored by Alan Whetzel, former director of the Mineral County Career & Technical Center, to assist the family.

Whetzel stepped up to invite the community to help Kevin because of his involvement at the Technical Center and his willingness to help the community.

Whetzel also stated that it is very important for the students at the Technical Center to have a business connection. Kevin has been instrumental in sponsoring the NATEF evaluation for the automotive technology class. This sets the standard for automotive technology, allowing students to enter the workforce with current automotive technology skills.

"Kevin is a professional, ethical business person," Whetzel said. "We hope our community will help give back as Kevin has given so much to our community."

Donations can be made to the "Kevin Moore Fire Disaster Fund" at First United Bank & Trust, 29 W. Southern Drive, Keyser, WV 26726.

The fire, which appeared to have started in the bedroom area, is believed to have been accidental in nature.