Fire destroys Avoca home

Friday, January 3, 2014

A fire broke out early Friday morning and destroyed a home at 10484 Kays Lane, Avoca Fire Chief Frankie Elliott said.

"There's nothing salvageable," Elliott said. "It's a total loss."

A neighbor called firefighters at about 4 a.m. Friday and said flames were shooting through the home's roof. The homeowners were in Branson, Mo., at the time, and no one was injured in the blaze, Elliott said.

The $106,400 home, built in 2012, is owned Weston Hills Corp., in care of Elvin and Kari Taylor, according to county courthouse records. Elvin Taylor did not respond Friday to a message left via Facebook, an online social media site.

Firefighters were at the home within minutes of the call, but the house was already engulfed in flames, according to Elliott and a Rogers Fire Department incident report. Firefighters fought the fire for three hours, Elliott said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Elliott said. Fire Marshal Marc Trollinger did not return a message left Friday.

No official cost estimate is available yet, but Elliott said he thought the loss might be near $140,000 to $150,000.

Fire departments responding to the blaze were Avoca, Rogers, Beaver Lake, Little Flock and Northeast Benton County Volunteer Fire Department.