CHIMNEY FIRE DESTROYS BURFORDVILLE HOUSE

BURFORDVILLE -- A 100-year-old Burfordville home was destroyed Tuesday afternoon after a fire began in the chimney flue.

Hampered by cold temperatures, icy roads and frozen water supplies, firefighters from seven fire districts were unable to save the home of Miles and Imogene Lincoln.

No one was injured in the fire.

The Lincolns reported coming back into the house to discover smoke filling the rooms and fire coming from the ceiling.

"We tried to put it out with water in the sink, but it was getting farther and farther ahead of us," said Miles Lincoln.

Firefighters from Millersville, Jackson, Delta, East County, Whitewater, Fruitland and Bollinger County responded to the emergency calls but were unable to extinguish the fire.

Andrew Schlimme of the Millersville Fire Department said that the winter weather made fighting the fire difficult. Icy roads made it difficult for the fire trucks to reach the house and frozen water sources made it difficult to get water to the pumpers, Schlimme said.

"We were having trouble getting enough water to save this one," he said.

The Millersville Fire Department arrived at the scene about five minutes after the emergency call came in and found the house already fully engulfed in flames, Schlimme said.

"These old houses like this one, once the fire gets inside the walls there's not a whole lot we can do," he said. "We can throw as much water at it as possible and hope we can control it."