South Royalton Fire Capt. David Whitney listens to the concerns of Warren Williams, 95, as firefighters work to extinguish the last of the fire at Williams’ centuries-old home on Sunday at the corner of Happy Hollow Road and Route 14 in South Royalton. Fire officials said no one was injured, and the adjoining home of Williams’ son Dale Williams was undamaged. The Red Cross is assisting Williams, who has been displaced by the fire, according to a news release.
Williams said the house was built in 1780. He and his son Dale renovated the house following another fire in the late 1960s, shortly before Williams moved in. Williams said he had cleaned out a wood cook stove in the kitchen earlier in the day before the fire broke out. Royalton Asst. Fire Chief Randy Caron said the fire started near the connection of the chimney and a stove pipe from a wood cook stove. Williams was with his son in the adjoining apartment when the fire started.
Firefighters from Royalton, Bethel, Sharon and Tunbridge were called to the scene around 11 a.m., and the fire was under control by 1:30 p.m.