Fire causes major damage at Doc's Catfish Bait in Parkersburg

The warehouse for one of Parkersburg's oldest businesses caught fire on Thursday afternoon and caused major damage to the roof, as the owner called it a likely “total loss.” “There’s not too much to salvage out of it,” Robert Hosch said. The blaze is believed to have started between noon and 12:30, and the smoke continued to burn for several hours as fire departments from Parkersburg, Aplington, Allison and New Hartford assisted in containing it. No one was injured. “They did as much as they could,” Hosch said. “I appreciated all the response and help.” A damage estimate has not yet been provided, and Hosch told the Eclipse News-Review that he would wait until he finishes sorting through the insurance process before making a decision on the future of the business. Hosch, whose father purchased the business in the early 1970’s and moved it to Parkersburg from Ackley (and earlier Alden), took the blame for the fire, admitting that he left cooking oil boiling inside of a large kettle as he left to inspect a manhole cover outside of the warehouse and got distracted. Nonetheless, he’s doing his best to stay positive in the midst of a trying situation. “Well, now I get some time off,” Hosch joked.

View a slideshow of photos captured by Dave Dickes and Robert Maharry below.

The Eclipse News Review will provide more updates as they become available. Follow our social media accounts and the website to keep up to date on the latest developments.