Quick response saves one of Bonaparte’s historic homes

By Mark Newman, Courier staff writer

June 30, 2009 12:46 am

— BONAPARTE — Quick response from local and area fire departments has saved one of Bonaparte’s historic homes from being destroyed by fire.
A 9-1-1 call alerted the Bonaparte Fire Department around 2 a.m. Monday of a fire at the Scott Adams residence.
“It started on the second floor, went into the attic and had the attic pretty much fully engulfed,” said Bonaparte Fire Chief Rich Miller. “We got it knocked down; the fire in the attic extinguished. The rest of the house had smoke and water damage.”
Adams’ wife was home at the time but there were no injuries, Miller said.
The chief said firefighters arrived quickly enough that, with the help of the Farmington and Keosauqua fire departments, the damage was not visible from outside the home.
“It’s a big, old Victorian three-story house. A neighbor called it one of our ‘landmark’ historical homes, which is visible from the highway as a [visitor] enters town,” said Miller.
No injuries were reported, but Miller had no comment as to the cause.