Wanda English Burnett, Editor

The home of Jack and Shelba Wiley at 8259 West US 50, Holton, was a total loss after fire raged through it Friday evening, September 12.

A passerby, Paul Wagner, noticed black smoke billowing from the front of the house and called 911. Then, he ran up to the house and knocked on the doors, making sure no one was inside. “I didn’t know if anyone was home or not,” he noted at the scene that night, where he stayed on hand to help direct traffic or do whatever he could.

Members of the Holton Fire Department responded to the call they received about 6:00 p.m. to find the house fully engulfed. They began what they knew was a losing battle as far as saving the house or contents.

As firefighters arrived and were getting set up, Holton Town Marshal Bob Curl, along with Ripley County Sheriff Deputy Steve Sullivan, and neighbor Jerry Burnett, helped move the owner’s car from nearby the house. They also were able to get an acetylene tank removed from a garage that was in close proximity to the house.

The Wiley’s were on their property, but were in a building located just behind their home when the blaze broke out. They, along with their son Mick and grandson, watched helplessly as their home was completely destroyed. “Everything we have is in there,” noted Jack, at one point in the evening. Well, not everything, as one neighbor pointed out, his family was not injured. Jack agreed it could have been much worse.

Versailles and Osgood fire departments, along with Rescue 69 also responded to the scene. US 50 was closed down for approximately three hours.

The home was declared a total loss. While the exact cause of the fire had not been declared at press time, it was noted the blaze was accidental.

The Ripley County Chapter of the American Red Cross has been in contact with the family and noted they would be helping them if need be.