Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Solvents are blamed for a fire that destroyed a Wichita landmark.
The fire at the Comley Neff historic home in the 1100 block of North Broadway broke out at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday.
Chris Ford has been remodeling the old Comley home and says he was just a month away from finishing it
"We were looking forward to moving in and opening it up to the public for others to enjoy it too," said Ford who bought the home two years ago.
Investigators said the fire started in some rags that were soaked with stains and solvents. The building owner was using the rags for remodeling work.
The chemicals caused the rags to spontaneously combust. The fire burned in the floor then into the wall and finally up to the attic.
Damage estimated at $100,000
The home was built in 1899 for Henry Comley, a prominent Wichita businessman.
