Tuesday, May 21 2013 12:18 PM EDT2013-05-21 16:18:28 GMT
Three people were inside this burning home but managed to get out safely.
Firefighters are battling a massive fire in East Bank in Kanawha County. A house on Walnut Street went up in flames around 5:15 a.m. Firefighters said two people were home at the time but managed to
Three escape massive fire in a home on Walnut Street in Kanawha County
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has declined West Virginia's request for individual assistance for those affected by the June 29 derecho storm, according to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.
"I strongly disagree with FEMA's decision to deny sorely needed federal assistance to the victims of the unprecedented June 2012 derecho," said Tomblin in a news release. "I intend to appeal this decision and ask our congressional delegation to arrange a meeting with the FEMA leadership as soon as possible so that I can explain firsthand the devastation that I witnessed in the wake of this storm.
"While I hope an appeal will reverse today's federal decision, I understand there are many families struggling to recover from the significant financial impact of the storm, and I appreciate the many organizations throughout West Virginia that continue to provide assistance to them."
The June 29 storm and several storms in the weeks after killed three people in West Virginia. More than 680,000 customers were without electricity across the state. In some cases, services wasn't restored for nearly two weeks.
Tomblin's request for individual assistance would have covered at least 24 counties, including grants and services for people who incurred uninsured property damage and loss.
FEMA did approve public assistance for West Virginia.
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