Weekend Fires Destroy Homes in Newark Valley and Whitney Point

Two homes are total losses following fires Saturday and overnight Sunday.

No injuries are being reported following a house fire in Newark Valley that kept firefighters from over a half dozen departments on the scene for several hours early this morning.

Tioga County Emergency Services officials say crews from Newark Valley, Owego, Campville, Berkshire, Weltonville, Maine, Union Center and West Corners were all called to the home on Route 38B at around 12:10 a.m.

The home is believed to be a total loss.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, but officials say it appears the blaze began in the chimney.

A family of four lived at the house and was able to get out safely.

The fire activity in the area closed a portion of Route 38B for about three hours.

Meanwhile, in Whitney Point, officials suspect a problem with an electric space heater may be to blame for a blaze Saturday that destroyed a Whitney Point home.

The fire was reported at around 7:30 a.m. at the house on Main Street.

A woman and her five children escaped and are being assisted by the Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross.  There were no injuries reported.

Eleven fire companies were dispatched to battle that blaze.