Officials determine cause of Hotel McArthur fire in Vinton County
By: Joshua Hoerner, Noah Cavin
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MCARTHUR, Ohio (WOUB) – The fire that severely damaged the historic Hotel McArthur was caused by an electrical fire in the basement that worked its way up the walls to the ceiling.
The building also sustained heavy water damage in the process of extinguishing the flames.
The electrical fire was likely caused by a strong thunderstorm that moved in the night before, according to Vinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau President Audie Games.
“There was a big storm. There was probably a power surge or a lightning strike of some sort,” she said. “I think it was probably a power surge. Our electric went out at like three or four that night.”
The building was balloon-framed, which is an old construction technique used in 19th and 20th Century America. Over time, the style has been used less to construct buildings because faster and more efficient methods exist and balloon framing allows for fires to travel up structures quickly.
The visitors bureau was in the process of a $2.8 million renovation project for the historic hotel. In addition to moving the Vinton County Visitor Center into the main lobby, the renovation plans included a bar and restaurant space, a small event stage and a gift shop.
As of now, the future is unclear for the building.
“We now have to put a roof back on and kind of start from square one,” said Games.
Games said the visitors bureau is waiting to hear if the building is structurally sound or not before they continue their renovation plans – but neither her nor the CVB board has lost faith in the project.
“It’s a community icon. It was here before Vinton County was here,” said Games. “It’s definitely worth preserving and saving this place. People can donate, people can come help, and if people could share their stories about the hotel, that would be very helpful.