Firefighters battle smoke in house fire

    I talked with John Jones on the phone after hearing about the fire, and as typical this time of year, was about to wish him a Merry Christmas as our conversation drew to a close . . . then caught myself. It just seemed wrong. Celebrating a holiday is the last thing on his mind, after last Tuesday. I could hear it in his voice - the sadness.
    “The house is one thing,” he said, “but I lost my dog, too.”
    John Jones had been visiting his mother Tuesday morning in the hospital, then came home around 1 p.m. to let his pet out.
    “I opened the door, and pow!, all this smoke came out,” he recalled. A quick look inside revealed his beloved pet had succumbed to the smoke.
    Shortly thereafter Ogden and Boone Fire Departments responded to the house at 1158 Jonquil Lane where Jones lives with his elderly mother. This was her home of 23 years.
    A faulty outlet in the lower level is thought to be the cause of the fire.
    Jones said two rooms in the basement were pretty much destroyed and the rest of the house sustained severe smoke damage. “It was so hot some of my things in the basement melted. The furnace was still running and was dragging smoke through the vents.”
    Even though Jones said he thinks there is no structural damage, he’ll wait and see what the insurance company has to say concerning extent of the damage.
    He is temporarily staying at a motel. Milly, who was scheduled to go home last Wednesday, remains at the hospital.