Fire Destroys Historic Home South of Fairfax

An accidental fire destroyed a historic home just south of Fairfax on Thursday, Dec. 15, according to East Pierce Fire and Rescue.

A fire broke out at the single-story wood structure on the 32600 block of Manley-Moore Road East just before 9 a.m. The owner, who did not live in the house at the time, said he was attempting to thaw frozen water pipes with a propane torch when a wall accidentally caught fire.

He reported to dispatchers that the home was fully engulfed in flames. By the time firefighters arrived, the structure was a total loss.

According to the owner, the house was built in the early 1900s for supervisors of the Manley-Moore Lumber Company, one of the largest inland sawmills in the state at the turn of the century.