Wilson opera house burns

Last Update: 11/06 5:30 pm

Print Story |

Slideshow

(Stacey Frimmel)

WILSON, Kansas – Before the sun was up Friday morning, a massive fire was raging inside three historic buildings in downtown Wilson, including the century-old Czech Opera House.

Eight area fire departments were called to battle the blaze.

“We first arrived, the middle building flames were approximately 15 feet above the building, and the roof had already collapsed,” said Gary Everett with the Wilson Fire Department.

Now the opera house, a car storage building and a doctor’s office are left in ruins. Wilson Fire Department officials say it’s the biggest fire they’ve ever battled.

Residents say they were awakened by the sound of explosions and the smell of smoke.

“I smelled smoke in my home, then I turned the light on and there was actually smoke in my home, and so I thought my house was on fire,” said resident Brian Koetkemeyer. “I looked out my window and saw a smoke plume out south.”

Rubble is now piled up where the buildings used to stand. There’s no word on the financial loss suffered as a result of the fire, but the emotional loss is clear. The town lost much of its historical records, which were stored in the opera house.

“There was a lot of local family history that was stored down there for everybody to view and it's all gone,” Everett said.

Fire officials will likely keep an eye on the buildings throughout the night as the rubble could smolder until Saturday.

Add a Comment

(2) Comments

To Email:
Your Name:
Your Email:
Message:
	Send a copy to my email