The Hicks Homestead on Beech Road,
photographed in 2003 by the Hur Herald

House was nearly gone when firemen arrived, risks nearby
with arcing electric lines on the ground and a propane tank

Upper West Fork and Arnoldsburg VFDs respond to 3 a.m. fire

By Bob Weaver

An old homestead on Beech Road burned to the ground early today.

The two-story Hick's house, known to many in the community as the Florence Hicks place, currently occupied by Johnny Hicks, caught on fire before 3 a.m.

The house is located a short distance from Oka Road.

The Upper West Fork Volunteer Fire Department and the Arnoldsburg VFD responded to the call. The house was completely in flames when the fire trucks arrived.

Power lines were down, arcing on the ground and a nearby propane tank was a risk.

A neighbor said Hicks was working when the fire broke out, but his wife Stacy was present when the fire broke out. She reportedly escaped uninjured.

Firemen returned to the site before noon today to douse a re-kindle.