The Roy L. Cox Shelter Care Home at 702 E. Main was completely destroyed by fire Wednesday morning and other buildings in the block were endangered as the fire department was hampered by subzero temperatures. Cox said he discovered the fire in the attic about 7 am and while he was fighting it his wife guided the 10 residents to safety. The last one out was Ross Jarvis, a blind man.

All of the guests were able to walk from the building. Cox said he used the contents of two fire extinguishers on the fire which started around the flue in the attic and nearly had the fire under control when the fire department arrived. The fire plug on Main Street was frozen making it necessary for the firemen to hook onto a hydrant a block north of the fire.

Police Chief Charles Edwards said he reached the fire two minutes after the alarm sounded and that flames were coming through the roof. Fire Chief Lonnie Dungey said his men worked as fast as possible in the five degree below weather but by the time they found a hydrant which was not frozen the fire was out of control.

Dungey said if the hydrant on Union Street, a block north of the fire had not been working at least two other buildings near the Shelter Care Home would have burned. The 10-room rest home was connected to the Cox home by an enclosed patio. A building on Main, which was formerly a service station but now houses Mac’s Radio Service, was only a few feet from the rest home.

The building on Main caught fire around the upstairs windows on the east but the fire was extinguished with slight damage. Cox estimated the damage to the rest home at $20,000.

The house and all of its contents burned. Cox said three of his guests were taken to the Ernfelt Shelter Care Home at Johnston City, three to the Miner Care Home on E. Marion, two to a rest home in Anna and that two were staying at his home.

(Extracted from local newspapers and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at http://www.marionfire.us )