Fire Destroys 1790 House in Woodbury at Midnight Dec 29th

Woodbury – A fast-moving fire destroyed a 1790 home at 148 Sycamore, route 317, in Woodbury at midnight Thursday Dec 29th despite the best efforts of two dozen members of the Woodbury Volunteer Fire Dept and firefighters from neighboring communities. Woodbury Fire Chief Janet B. Morgan said it appeared to have been accidentally caused by a wood-burning stove in the basement. Homeowner William Taff and a cat escaped unharmed but a firemen slipped on ice that froze from firehose water and suffered an elbow injury. Smoke already was coming from the attic and flames were roaring across ceilings when firefighters arrived, Chief Morgan said. Putting it out required huge amounts of water that came from a nearby hydrant and another on Transylvania Road,” Morgan said. The 2500 square foot house was damaged beyond repair. She noted that the year 2020 began with a house fire on Route 47 and ended with this one.