Fire ravages 160-year-old Magnolia house
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MAGNOLIA TOWNSHIP — A house that stood at the crossroads of County A and Highway 213 for more than 160 years suffered massive damage in a fire Thursday. No one was injured.
Three adult residents were all home at the time. They said the fire started in the second floor or attic.
Jeffrey Walters said he and Dorothy Goodman were watching TV when they noticed white fluff falling outside. They thought it was snow.
Walters went out side to discover the house was on fire shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday.
Homeowner and resident Robert Kenney, Dorothy's brother, was upstairs, laying insulation. He said he could not figure out how the fire could have started.
Kenney said he has been living there since 1969. The original building was built in 1849 and was added onto later.
The house at 14528 W. County A was once the Magnolia Store at the tiny, unincorporated crossroads community, Kenney said.
Kenney's son Justin of Brodhead has replaced windows, re-sided the five-bedroom house and put on a metal roof over the past seven years. He said it was hard to hear his father on the phone, telling him his home was burning down.
Kenney said the house was fully insured. His insurance agent was on the scene, offering assistance.
The residents lost most or all of their possessions to fire, smoke and water damage.
Firefighters from at least four departments fought the blaze for several hours. Flames fanned by a stiff wind would be doused only to spring up again. One firefighter said the metal roof was holding the heat inside.
Huge clouds of smoke blew across County A to the south and east. Evansville was the first fire department called. At least three other surrounding departments helped out.
