Magnolia area resident, Bill Adams lost his long-time family home Dec. 22, after it caught fire.

Adams said shortly after 11 a.m. he saw smoke coming from the ceiling. He said he tried to go into the attic to see what it was, but there was too much smoke. He then tried to grab what he could and get out of the home.

The Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 21500 block of FM 1488 around 11:30 a.m. Firefighters found the structure completely involved, according to Fire Chief Gary Vincent.

Adams said there were approximately 100,000 rounds of ammunition stored in the home along with several firearms. Some of the ammunition was going off due to the extreme heat of the fire. Adams met MVFD in his driveway and told them about the ammunition.

Vincent said firefighters were able to approach the home and contain the fire to just the one structure, however it was a total loss.

As of press time the official cause of the fire was unknown. Adams believes it could have been his wood stove or a shorted fuse in the attic.

The home is actually two houses connected, according to Adams. It sits on the family’s property, which is about 200 acres. He said the home was built in 1920. Adams’ grandparents bought the land and home in 1927.

Later the Grogan Sawmill closed in 1958. Adams’ grandparents purchased the Grogan Sawmill building, moved and connected it to their home in 1962.

Adams has lived in Houston most of his life, however, he has always come to visit the property and his family over the years. In 1999, after his grandparents passed, he moved into the home full-time and began taking care of the land on his own. His parents still live in Houston.

Adams had raised cows on the property for many years, but recently sold the cows because of the drought.

Since the fire, Adams said several friends have come to help him tear down the destroyed home. All of his documents and belongings were lost in the fire, along with all of his grandparent’s possessions and antiques.

Although he has begun to clean up the debris and remaining pieces of the home, he said he is not sure what he will do next.

Photo by Cheryl Smith

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