House destroyed by fire

A house being remodeled at 607 East Main Street was destroyed by fire last Thursday. A passerby noticed smoke coming from roof vents about 9 a.m. and called 911. The unoccupied home is owned by Tom Burk, and an extensive remodeling project was almost complete.

Working in single digit temperatures, firemen from Belmond and Goodell poured over a hundred thousand gallons of water on the blaze, but it was stubborn and would not go out easily. At one point the basement was filled with four to five feet of water.

An official said the fire was probably burning for a long time before smoke finally started to show. Firemen broke out basement windows when flames were seen there. Other firemen entered the front door but were called back because of the weakened condition of the floor. The flames burned through the main floor, the ceiling and the roof, and the aerial ladder truck (above) poured about 1,000 gallons per minute through the gaping hole in the roof. Other firemen broke out the brand new windows on the sides of the house and sprayed water through those openings. Firemen stayed on the scene until about 3 p.m.

An insurance investigator visited the house Monday but could not determine the cause of the blaze, an official said. Another fire expert was being called to examine the home. It is considered a total loss.

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House destroyed by fire